Forever Yours
by Mistress del Mare
Summary: Note! ::Complete!:: Sequal to Entranced. This is the story of Lily and James after Hogwarts. Recommed reading Entranced first. A.U.
1. Jobs

Disclaimer: Okay, I'm only going to do one of these, because we all know that I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters or the Harry Potter world. The only thing that I own is the plot, the outcome, and some of the characters in the story!

Chapter 1- Jobs

Lily was sitting on the beach watching the surf at her families English home when an owl came to her. She saw the seal that it was closed with, and automatically placed it as a owl from the Britain Ministry of Magic. _What do they want with me?_ she wondered as opened the envelope. 

_Dear Miss Lily Evans,_

_The ministry has a department for Special Agent Aurors, and from what we hear, you would be one of the few perfect for the job. Albus Dumbledore has already informed Minister Crouch that you have already received training for this kind of work. If you are interested in becoming what we call a SAA please reply back. If you are not, all memory of this letter will be wiped from your mind. _

_Sincerely,_

_M. Brackleworths_

_Secretary of Ministry _

Lily frowned and thought it over. She had been offered a job at the Daily Prophet, and Witches Weekly, but they both seemed so boring and dull. But, was she willing to go out into what many of the magical folk are starting to believe is war? 

Lily got up, and with her letter in hand, begun walking bare foot along the surf, the hem of her black jeans getting wet along the way, making her cuddle into the comfort of her warm gray wool sweater. 

"Could I really do this?" she wondered out loud. 

By the time that Lily had walked down to where the cliffs lay, she had her answer. She walked up the steep cliff walkway and into the house to reply to the letter. She was going to do it.

~*~*~*~

James was walking around Diagon Alley with Sirius looking for Dianna Black, Sirius' mother to ask her about something when all of a sudden, to owls flew over their heads and dropped Ministry letters on their heads. 

James caught his before it hit the ground, while Sirius had to bend over and pick his up, which caused some of the witches behind him to stare in awe.

"He has a girl, so stop staring!" Kayla's voice sounded as she sidled up next to Sirius. "Do you know what these are about?" she asked after she kissed Sirius on the cheek, and stared brazenly back at the young witches who were glaring at her. 

"Nope." Sirius and James sounded. 

Sirius leaned down and pecked his fiancée on the cheek. "Where's my Mum?" he asked as he straightened back up. 

"Back at the flower shop. She is just determined that we need to pick out the flowers for the wedding now, and without you. She said something about you having no taste in flowers what so ever." Kayla smirked.

James chuckled, and Sirius glared. "She is never going to get over that snapping plant that I got her, is she?" he whined to James.

"Sorry mate. Doesn't look like it." James confided. 

Sirius had looked down at his letter and begun to open it. "Wow." He said when he finished. 

James had followed Sirius' example and opened his too, and was shocked to see what the letter contained. _A Special Agent Auror?_

"Oh my, God." Kayla whispered as she looked up from her letter. 

"Well," Sirius voiced, "I guess we better go and find some parchment."

James and Kayla nodded and walked towards the stationary store to write their replies. 

~*~*~*

Authors Note:

It's here. Chapter 1 of Forever Yours is just an introduction, the next chapters there will be a lot more of Lily and James, promise. Well, hope you liked it.

Review please.

Mistress del Mare 


	2. Home

Chapter 2 - Home  
  
  
  
Lily waited for James to show up at her family's manor rather impatiently. She just had to tell him about her job offer! Lily's sharp ears heard a distinct pop sound coming from the entry way, and rushed out of the sitting room that she had been pacing in to see who had arrived.  
  
  
  
"James!" Lily cried as she was embraced in James' arms.  
  
  
  
"What?" James smiled as he hugged his fiancée back. "I have something to tell you."  
  
  
  
Lily looked up into James' handsome face, or more directly into his sparkling blue eyes, and raised her eyebrow. What did he do? She wondered as she stepped away from him.  
  
  
  
"I got a job offer, and this time I'm going to take it," he informed her as he led her outside. James had been given the opportunity to play for the Cannons as their Seeker, but he refused. He just couldn't see himself flying for a living, and he also couldn't see himself being away from Lily that often.  
  
  
  
Lily perked up. "Really," she asked curiously. Wouldn't it be weird if we had the same jobs? She mused, but rejected it. She wasn't sure if James would go for something that seemed like more of a desk job than anything else. "And what would that be?"  
  
  
  
James' eyes sparkled with laughter, and his lips twitched at the corners as he told her.  
  
  
  
Oh my, God. Lily thought wildly. He's going to do a desk job! Okay, this isn't James Potter, this - this - this is an imposter! She concluded. "Who are you?" Lily asked before she thought anything of it.  
  
  
  
James laughed; he had been expecting that response from her. Well, to tell the truth, not really, but one similar to it at least! "I'm James William Potter." He told her with a smile.  
  
  
  
"You mean you are really going to be working with me then?" she asked, still too stunned to realize that she had just spilled her news.  
  
  
  
"What? You are? Since when?" James demanded stupidly.  
  
  
  
Lily shook herself out of her shock, and smiled. "Yes, I am. I got my letter this morning and replied to it."  
  
  
  
"Oh."  
  
  
  
Lily laughed, and looked at the time. "Oh, Merlin!" she swore. "James, come on, we're going to be late!" she cried frantically as she threw her jacket on and pocketed her keys, just in case she couldn't get in the magic way.  
  
  
  
James looked at Lily and wondered what she was talking about. Then it hit him. Oh, shit! The House showing! James jumped up from his seat on the white sofa and rushed over to Lily. Seeing as they couldn't apparate into the house, the couple used Floo powder. "Dream Manor!" Lily yelled into the fireplace as the fire consumed her. James soon followed suit.  
  
  
  
Lily shut her eyes as she felt herself getting dizzy from all of the twirling and fireplaces that she saw go by. When she stepped out of the fireplace, she gaped. The room that she had landed in was beautiful. It was large, but intimate, a large stone fireplace stood to her right, which was next to the door, and to the right of the fireplace, a bay window sat, overlooking a beautiful garden. The room was furnished in light colors, baby blue and white, with a few hints of navy blue.  
  
  
  
"May I help you?" a voice asked as they walked through the door.  
  
  
  
Lily looked at the young woman and guessed for her to be a real estate agent. She had on a black cloak, and was carrying around a clipboard, and her honey brown hair was situated in a bun that reminded her of Professor McGonagall's hairstyle. Her brown eyes were situated behind oval glasses, and shined with friendliness and warmth. Lily automatically liked this lady.  
  
  
  
"Yes, my name is Lily Evans, but I think that I stepped out at the wrong time. Do you mind telling me where I am?" Lily asked her politely while holding out her hand to shake.  
  
  
  
The young woman grasped the hand firmly and shook. "Nice to meet you, Lily." The real estate agent said. "My name is Veronica Huggles, and you are at Godrics Manor."  
  
  
  
"Is it for sell?" Lily questioned as she looked around the room again. If the rest of the house looks like this, James and I might not need to look as much as we planned. Lily thought.  
  
  
  
"Yes, it is. In fact, I have an appointment in 20 minutes, but if you'd like, I could fit you in for a tour in about an hour." Veronica chirpily informed her. Lily smiled and gave the lady her name, telling her that she would be here in an hour with her fiancée.  
  
  
  
Lily then stepped into the fireplace again, and with a last wave to Veronica, started on her way to Dreams Manor once again.  
  
  
  
"Where have you been?" James demanded as soon as Lily stepped out of the fireplace.  
  
  
  
Lily smiled. "I got lost and ended up somewhere else," she told him as she walked over to his side, gave him a kiss on his cheek, and laced her arm through his.  
  
  
  
Lily looked at the real estate agent as he walked in, and tried to stifle her laughter, and barely managed. This man had seen past the age of 50, was balding, and was a bit . . . big. Actually, his stomach would do Santa Clauses good, and he had enough chins to make up almost 5 people.  
  
  
  
"Yes, I am," Lily coughed to hide her laugh as she extended her hand in welcome. The man took it, and after a brief shake, released it.  
  
  
  
"Now, about the house . . ." the man droned on.  
  
  
  
Lily paid no attention to him and by the time the man had finished, Lily was almost asleep.  
  
  
  
James looked down at Lily and smiled. She had her head resting on his shoulder, her long auburn hair shifting against his clothes as she nodded or shook her head, and her hand snuggled in his. She looked to prefect there. "Lily, honey, were you even listening to the guy?" James asked as they got ready to apparate out of the houses grounds to the appointment that Lily had made.  
  
  
  
"No," she grinned.  
  
  
  
James shook his head at her as she disappeared.  
  
  
  
As soon as James appeared in front of the two-story mansion that was called Godrics Hollow, he knew that this was the house. Some say that a house always picked the family, and James had never believed that before, but now, he believed. It just seemed as if this house was made for Lily and him, and he hasn't even been in it!  
  
  
  
The house consisted of a study, a library, 6 bedrooms and a master bedroom, 8 bathrooms, and 1 in each room, then one on the top and bottom floor. It had a small sitting room, a kitchen, a dinning room, and a recreational room. Each room had its own color theme, and housed its own fireplace. And the master bedroom was what topped it all for James and Lily. They had terrace doors that opened up onto a terrace that overlooked the raging cliffs, and had a prefect view of the waves.  
  
  
  
James and Lily both turned toward Veronica and said, "We'll take it"  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
"So tell me of this house you got," Kayla told Lily as they, along with Aria, Alexandra, and Tiffany, began their long search for a church for Lily's wedding.  
  
  
  
"Well, it's in England--I don't think that James could ever live in any other place. It has 6 rooms, a sitting room, dinning, kitchen, recreational room, study, library, and 8 bathrooms," and then she went on to explain the lay of the land, and the views of the house.  
  
  
  
"It sounds lovely," Aria sighed.  
  
  
  
"It sounds like something my son would go for," Tiffany Potter said as they looked through the church booklet at the wedding receptionist's desk. James had backed out saying that all of the wedding details were to be whatever Lily wanted them to be, and he was no one to argue with her ideas.  
  
  
  
"It sounds like something both of them would go for," Alexandra Evans corrected.  
  
  
  
"Oh my God!" Lily yelped as she saw the perfect church. "Mama! Look at this church! It's beautiful!"  
  
  
  
Tiffany, Alexandra, Kayla and Aria all looked over Lily's shoulder to see the church at which she was pointing. (A/N: I'm going to make this church up.) It was a church that had apparently been part of the wizarding world for years (the history said so at least) and it was located in Ireland, and thought of as a crumbling and falling ruin. But to wizards and witches a like, it was a wonderful gray cathedral.  
  
  
  
"I am getting married here." Lily insisted, although no one protested.  
  
  
  
"Now, where did that lady go!" Tiffany wondered as she looked around the room for the wedding planner.  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm right here, did you pick?" Sarah Trinity asked as she stepped back into the large creamed colored room.  
  
  
  
"Yes, I did," Lily informed her with a smile. "I want this one." She pointed to the page with the cathedral in Ireland.  
  
  
  
"Really? Hardly anyone ever goes there anymore. For some reason most want the Ritz and glamour of the new cathedrals and churches, where they are surrounded by big cities and such," she told Lily.  
  
  
  
And Lily, being as stubborn as she was, stated, "Then I'm starting a new trend. I want this one." Sarah smiled at Lily's determination and nodded her head in acceptance.  
  
  
  
"Right. How about we go cheek it out next week, and you decide what kind of decorations you want?" Sarah asked.  
  
  
  
Lily agreed, and was soon on her way over to Special Agents Headquarters to be assigned to a position. According to the Ministry, she and James, were qualified enough to not have to go through training, and decided to immediately admit them to the force.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Authors Note: One of you asked if Lily was in Italy in the last chapter, and the answer is no, she is not. She had decided to go to England with her Mother. And she never really lived in Italy, her family had homes in both England and Italy, most of the home chapters were set in Italy in Entranced because her Father had needed the warmth, and because she wanted to be in the sun for summer . . . sorry for that confusion!  
  
Mistress del Mare 


	3. James' Assignment

Chapter 3 – James' Assignment 

Lily walked up the steps of the Ministry of Magic building, and blinked to adjust her eyes to the dimness in the building compared to the rare blinding light that was outside. 

"I see that you're getting assigned too," James guessed as he walked over to her side. 

Lily looked to her right and looked at James. "Yep, I am. How long have you been here?" 

James shrugged and looked up when the strict and graying receptionist called her name from the safety of sitting behind her desk. "Just go through this door." She told James, pointing to a door that seemed bigger than all the rest. 

"And what's your name?" the old lady asked Lily. Lily smiled pleasantly and replied, "Lillian Evans, ma'am." The old lady, by the name of Beatrice Yonder if the plaque was right, didn't even look up as she pointed Lily to door that had 'Intelligence' scripted on it in swishy, big letters. 'Intelligence'? Lily wondered. 'Why am I going into intelligence?'

Lily opened her mouth to ask, but decided against it, and just walked towards the heavy looking door and pushed it open. 

Inside the room, there were doors upon doors with signs on them that said things like, 'Suspects', 'Cases', 'Files', and 'Lounge'. Lily walked on until she came upon another receptionist, except this one was younger. 

"Hello, my name is Lillian Evans, and I was told to come into this room, do you think that you could help me?" Lily asked the young witch.

The lady looked up with a bright smile on her face, and in this chirpy, sweet, high-pitched voice said, "Sure, I'd be happy to help you. Lillian Evans did you say? Yes, well, the boss is awaiting you. If you'd just step through that door please?" The perky brunette informed Lily in one breath. 

Lily nodded her thanks and walked through the door. Behind a big oak desk that dominated the room, an aging wizard sat, running, weathered fingers through his black going on gray hair, hunched over a stack of papers that sat on his desk. "Sir?" Lily asked, just a little timidly. 

 The man looked up and ran his cloudy brown eyes over Lily's build. "Lillian Evans, I presume?" he asked in a coarse voice as he leaned back in his chair and intertwined his fingers behind his head.

Lily nodded her head, having no clue if that was a rhetorical question or not. 

"Well, what are you still standing for? Take a seat!" he demanded.

Lily rushed to do as he said and sat down in an overstuffed chair that lay directly in front of his. 

"I'm Stephan Johnson, head of M.o.M Intelligence branch." Mr. Johnson introduced. Lily nodded her head, and held out her hand, which Mr. Johnson shook vigorously. "Nice to meet you sir." Lily replied as she sat back in her chair. 

Stephan Johnson nodded in turn and got down to business. "You were originally recruited for the field job, but after going through your files, we thought that you'd be better suited with Intelligence. We're not saying that we don't think that you'd do well out in combat, we're just saying that you'd do the Ministry better in Intelligence. Especially if you're anything like your Father was. 

"But what we do here is mainly try to break through systems, codes, strategies, and help the 'soldiers'" he said, holding up his hands to do quotation marks, "accomplish their missions. Any questions?" he finished. 

Lily looked a little dazed, but shook her head. "No, sir, I don't."

"Right then. If you'd follow me?" 

Lily got up and followed Mr. Johnson out of his office, and back down the hall with all the doors. He stopped in front of the one called, 'Cases' and opened the door. Lily blinked as she looked around. There were about twenty people in the room, and none of them were staying still! One minute they'd be walking towards the wall, the next, well in the next minute, poof – they're gone! Mr. Johnson must have seen the amazement and wonder on Lily's face, for he gave a hoarse chuckle, almost as if he wasn't used to laughing, and told her, "You'll get used to it. Each section of the wall leads you to somewhere else, some lead to other places in the Ministry, some lead you to different Ministry's, and others lead you all over England."

Lily nodded distractedly and continued to look around. She jumped when she felt a hand on her arm, leading her down the hallway. "I'm putting you on a new case so that you wouldn't have to catch up. You'll be working with one other person, and she should already be here." He mused as they walked through the wall and saw no body there. 

"Sorry I'm late sir!" a young, slim, blonde woman gasped as she doubled over to catch her breath. "That's okay, Miss Miller," Johnson said with an amused look in his eyes. 

"Now, on to your assignment." He started.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

James walked through the wall and down the hallway until he came upon another receptionist. He cleared his throat, but she didn't look up. So, he did it a little louder. She still didn't wake up. So finally, James gave up and said, "Miss?" Still no answer. James frowned and said it louder this time. She still didn't answer him. James frowned deepened. He bent down and waved a hand in front of her face, making the lady jump back in surprise. "You shouldn't go scaring an old lady like that!" the startled old woman informed James in a prim voice that reminded him of Professor McGonagall's.

James looked at the lady and frowned. Her hair was still a dark brown without a trace of gray or white in it, she had no wrinkles, and he reflexes were great. She didn't look old to him. 

"I'm sorry ma'am. But I have an appointment, James Potter." He informed her with a charming grin. 

The lady blushed and pointed to the door. "Thank you." James told her before he walked towards the door behind the desk and opened it. 

Aladaster Moody (a/n . . . I don't know how to spell his name right.)  sat behind a desk going over papers. He looked up as James walked in and nodded before going back to his paper work.

"James Potter? Yes, of course you are, you look exactly like your father. I do believe that you excelled at your training while you were at Hogwarts, or so Professor Dumbledore has informed me. Now, we are putting you on an assignment now. We want you to go to Egypt, and get some inside information on what kind of banned potion ingredients that they are selling." Moody told James without even looking up. "We have reason to believe that someone is going to try to make an immortality potion, and the guy we suspect it is, if he succeeds could be trouble for the world as we know it." 

Moody then looked up at James, and straight into his eyes. "I'm not going to lie to you, this is a dangerous mission, but if I didn't think that you could do it, I wouldn't have assigned it to you. You need to be cunning, quick, and believable. And I have already seen that you are all of those. After all, not that many people are dumb enough to even half of the things that you did at school." He commented with a knowing look. 

James' eyes grew round, and his mouth dropped open. 'He knows about the animagus.' He thought. "Don't worry Potter, I'm not going to do anything. It could be helpful." Moody waved aside James' shock and got right on to what he was trying to say. "Now, do you accept the assignment, or not?"

James though about it for a few seconds and nodded his head. 

Moody smiled, which gave James the chills seeing as Moody resembled a monster ready to strike. "I though that you'd say that. Now, I'm willing to give you two days to get ready, but not a day more." 

James nodded his head, and after being dismissed walked back into the main office to wait for Lily. 'I wonder what she's going to say?' he wondered as he watched her walk out of the door opposite from the one he did with a dazed look on her face.

Chapter 3 – James' Assignment 

Lily walked up the steps of the Ministry of Magic building, and blinked to adjust her eyes to the dimness in the building compared to the rare blinding light that was outside. 

"I see that you're getting assigned too," James guessed as he walked over to her side. 

Lily looked to her right and looked at James. "Yep, I am. How long have you been here?" 

James shrugged and looked up when the strict and graying receptionist called her name from the safety of sitting behind her desk. "Just go through this door." She told James, pointing to a door that seemed bigger than all the rest. 

"And what's your name?" the old lady asked Lily. Lily smiled pleasantly and replied, "Lillian Evans, ma'am." The old lady, by the name of Beatrice Yonder if the plaque was right, didn't even look up as she pointed Lily to door that had 'Intelligence' scripted on it in swishy, big letters. 'Intelligence'? Lily wondered. 'Why am I going into intelligence?'

Lily opened her mouth to ask, but decided against it, and just walked towards the heavy looking door and pushed it open. 

Inside the room, there were doors upon doors with signs on them that said things like, 'Suspects', 'Cases', 'Files', and 'Lounge'. Lily walked on until she came upon another receptionist, except this one was younger. 

"Hello, my name is Lillian Evans, and I was told to come into this room, do you think that you could help me?" Lily asked the young witch.

The lady looked up with a bright smile on her face, and in this chirpy, sweet, high-pitched voice said, "Sure, I'd be happy to help you. Lillian Evans did you say? Yes, well, the boss is awaiting you. If you'd just step through that door please?" The perky brunette informed Lily in one breath. 

Lily nodded her thanks and walked through the door. Behind a big oak desk that dominated the room, an aging wizard sat, running, weathered fingers through his black going on gray hair, hunched over a stack of papers that sat on his desk. "Sir?" Lily asked, just a little timidly. 

 The man looked up and ran his cloudy brown eyes over Lily's build. "Lillian Evans, I presume?" he asked in a coarse voice as he leaned back in his chair and intertwined his fingers behind his head.

Lily nodded her head, having no clue if that was a rhetorical question or not. 

"Well, what are you still standing for? Take a seat!" he demanded.

Lily rushed to do as he said and sat down in an overstuffed chair that lay directly in front of his. 

"I'm Stephan Johnson, head of M.o.M Intelligence branch." Mr. Johnson introduced. Lily nodded her head, and held out her hand, which Mr. Johnson shook vigorously. "Nice to meet you sir." Lily replied as she sat back in her chair. 

Stephan Johnson nodded in turn and got down to business. "You were originally recruited for the field job, but after going through your files, we thought that you'd be better suited with Intelligence. We're not saying that we don't think that you'd do well out in combat, we're just saying that you'd do the Ministry better in Intelligence. Especially if you're anything like your Father was. 

"But what we do here is mainly try to break through systems, codes, strategies, and help the 'soldiers'" he said, holding up his hands to do quotation marks, "accomplish their missions. Any questions?" he finished. 

Lily looked a little dazed, but shook her head. "No, sir, I don't."

"Right then. If you'd follow me?" 

Lily got up and followed Mr. Johnson out of his office, and back down the hall with all the doors. He stopped in front of the one called, 'Cases' and opened the door. Lily blinked as she looked around. There were about twenty people in the room, and none of them were staying still! One minute they'd be walking towards the wall, the next, well in the next minute, poof – they're gone! Mr. Johnson must have seen the amazement and wonder on Lily's face, for he gave a hoarse chuckle, almost as if he wasn't used to laughing, and told her, "You'll get used to it. Each section of the wall leads you to somewhere else, some lead to other places in the Ministry, some lead you to different Ministry's, and others lead you all over England."

Lily nodded distractedly and continued to look around. She jumped when she felt a hand on her arm, leading her down the hallway. "I'm putting you on a new case so that you wouldn't have to catch up. You'll be working with one other person, and she should already be here." He mused as they walked through the wall and saw no body there. 

"Sorry I'm late sir!" a young, slim, blonde woman gasped as she doubled over to catch her breath. "That's okay, Miss Miller," Johnson said with an amused look in his eyes. 

"Now, on to your assignment." He started.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

James walked through the wall and down the hallway until he came upon another receptionist. He cleared his throat, but she didn't look up. So, he did it a little louder. She still didn't wake up. So finally, James gave up and said, "Miss?" Still no answer. James frowned and said it louder this time. She still didn't answer him. James frowned deepened. He bent down and waved a hand in front of her face, making the lady jump back in surprise. "You shouldn't go scaring an old lady like that!" the startled old woman informed James in a prim voice that reminded him of Professor McGonagall's.

James looked at the lady and frowned. Her hair was still a dark brown without a trace of gray or white in it, she had no wrinkles, and he reflexes were great. She didn't look old to him. 

"I'm sorry ma'am. But I have an appointment, James Potter." He informed her with a charming grin. 

The lady blushed and pointed to the door. "Thank you." James told her before he walked towards the door behind the desk and opened it. 

Aladaster Moody (a/n . . . I don't know how to spell his name right.)  sat behind a desk going over papers. He looked up as James walked in and nodded before going back to his paper work.

"James Potter? Yes, of course you are, you look exactly like your father. I do believe that you excelled at your training while you were at Hogwarts, or so Professor Dumbledore has informed me. Now, we are putting you on an assignment now. We want you to go to Egypt, and get some inside information on what kind of banned potion ingredients that they are selling." Moody told James without even looking up. "We have reason to believe that someone is going to try to make an immortality potion, and the guy we suspect it is, if he succeeds could be trouble for the world as we know it." 

Moody then looked up at James, and straight into his eyes. "I'm not going to lie to you, this is a dangerous mission, but if I didn't think that you could do it, I wouldn't have assigned it to you. You need to be cunning, quick, and believable. And I have already seen that you are all of those. After all, not that many people are dumb enough to even half of the things that you did at school." He commented with a knowing look. 

James' eyes grew round, and his mouth dropped open. 'He knows about the animagus.' He thought. "Don't worry Potter, I'm not going to do anything. It could be helpful." Moody waved aside James' shock and got right on to what he was trying to say. "Now, do you accept the assignment, or not?"

James though about it for a few seconds and nodded his head. 

Moody smiled, which gave James the chills seeing as Moody resembled a monster ready to strike. "I though that you'd say that. Now, I'm willing to give you two days to get ready, but not a day more." 

James nodded his head, and after being dismissed walked back into the main office to wait for Lily. 'I wonder what she's going to say?' he wondered as he watched her walk out of the door opposite from the one he did with a dazed look on her face.


	4. You Can't Leave Me

Chapter 4 - You Can't Leave Me  
  
James was sitting in his room at his parents' house trying to think of a way to tell Lily that he would be leaving. Truth be told, he was terrified to tell Lily, but he knew that he had to. James sighed and ran a tanned hand through his unruly hair in frustration.  
  
"James?" Lily's voice came from outside of his door.  
  
James looked at the door in confusion. 'Didn't she say that she'd be busy until 5?' he wondered and looked at the clock. 'It's only 3:29.' James got up and answered the door.  
  
"Hey, baby," James smiled as he ushered her into his room.  
  
Lily looked around the all-familiar blue and gold room. The gleaming cherry wood was all well used, the bed was still unmade, clothes were all sitting in a chair, pictures were lined up on the dresser, and a picture sat on James' nightstand.  
  
Lily walked over to his bed and sat on the side, picked up the picture and looked at it.  
  
It was a picture of the two of them just a few days before their very first break up. The picture was a wizard's picture, so the figures were animated. But at the moment, the Lily and James figures were embraced in a lovers embrace.  
  
Lily smiled at the picture. "I didn't know you had a copy of this." Lily whispered as she set it back down on his nightstand.  
  
James looked at his fiancée closely. She was acting strangely. James looked into her beautiful green eyes and sighed. Something was wrong. He walked over to his bed and sat down next to her, threw an arm around her shoulders, and guided her head into his shoulder. "What's wrong, Lil?" he asked her.  
  
'I should have known that he'd be able to tell.' She thought as she sighed and shifted her head to look into his sapphire blue eyes. "I know, James. I know about the assignment." She whispered softly, tears once again springing to her eyes.  
  
James froze. 'How does she know? I haven't told anybody yet!' his mind screamed. "How did you find out?" he asked. Lily looked at him and took something out of her coat pocket. "This," she said, referring to the scrap of paper that she held in her hand.  
  
James frowned. How could she know by a piece of paper? James reached out for the paper and unfolded it. It read:  
  
Dear Mr. Potter,  
  
For your assignment, you will need to bring along with you wizards robes, your wand, and Floo powder. Everything else will be provided for you.  
  
We wish you the best of luck on your assignment in Egypt.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Moody  
  
James sighed. "I didn't want you to find out this way, Lils."  
  
Lily sniffled and nodded her head, as if saying I know. "But why James?" she asked in a small voice.  
  
James shrugged. He really didn't know himself why he was doing it. "I love you, Lily." He told her as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into a laying position on his bed. "And I'm going to miss you so much." Lily sniffled again, and hesitantly asked, "When are you leaving?" James stayed silent, then finally sighed. "In two days." He told her.  
  
Lily nodded her head and curled into James' body like she did after they made love. "I don't want you to leave me James." She admitted. James tightened his grip on her waist. "I know, Lils. I know."  
  
Lily wrapped her arms around him, and rested her head on his chest. "Can I stay tonight? I don't want to be away from you." James stroked a hand down her back and told her that she could stay.  
  
"What about the wedding James?" she asked as she cuddled with him. James thought for a moment, then told her, "Well finish everything after I return. How about that?"  
  
"But what if you don't return for a long time?" Lily questioned. "I will." James assured her.  
  
Lily being too tired from her emotional drain of realizing that James would be leaving, decided not to argue with James on his cockiness, and just smiled and began to drift off to sleep.  
  
James gazed lovingly down at the red head that was rested on his chest comfortably. "I love you Lily Evans." He whispered as he slowly disentangled himself from her and wrote to Sirius, Remus, Kayla, and Aria to tell them about his assignment.  
  
After he sent the notes off with a household owl, he shifted Lily on the bed to where her head was on a pillow, took her shoes and robe off and set them on a chair, then he got into the bed next to her, and held her close to him as he fell asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Shh . . . they're sleeping Sirius!" Kayla whispered harshly. "So!" Sirius whispered back, if only to save his arm from turning black and blue.  
  
"Not anymore we're not," Lily said, her voice groggy with sleep.  
  
"Oops," Aria sounded as soon as she realized that they had woken the sleeping couple up.  
  
"You two are clothed under those sheets, aren't you?" Remus asked.  
  
When James and Lily nodded their heads, the group of four moved towards the bed and sat on the edges of it.  
  
"Are you really going?" Sirius whined.  
  
James, not having opened his eyes yet, just nodded, and rolled onto his side into the heat of Lily's body. "Yes, now go away, and leave me alone with my woman." He informed them. "If you want, take your rooms, just leave. Must get sleep."  
  
"But-!" Sirius started, but the rest of the sentence was muffled by the presence of Kayla's hand. Sirius glared at the hand and tried tugging at it, but it wouldn't move. "Let them have their time together Sirius." Kayla hissed as she tugged on his arm roughly to get him out of the room. "What would you want if it was the other way around, and it was you who was leaving?" she asked him. When he didn't say anything, Kayla smiled. "See." She gloated as they began to walk down the hallways to their permanent rooms in the Potters' house.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The next two days didn't have enough hours in them for the friends. James and Lily it seemed were attached at the hips. And James spent all the time that he could with his family and friends.  
  
On the day of his departure, there was only one way to describe a particular red head that went by the name of Lily Evans. Depressed. Her normally clear green eyes were blood shot, her eyes were swollen from crying, tears were stilling flowing down her face as James apparated to the office, and she just stared at the spot where James had disappeared, as if expecting him to pop back up and say, "Gotcha!" . . . but he didn't.  
  
Lily eventually moved from that spot and went home, but it was a while before that happened. 


	5. Training

Chapter 5 - Training  
  
It had been three weeks since James had wandered off to Egypt, and no one had heard from him. But Lily did know for sure that he was still alive, due to the fact that she was on the team that pieced together the information that the Ministry got from him. But she tended to think that that was because she was one of the few people who could actually understand James' handwriting.  
  
During those three weeks, Kayla and Sirius were being put through training.  
  
  
  
That meant waking up every morning before the roosters did, running 4 miles throughout a day, going through every obstacle course that you could even begin to imagine, and getting charms and spells crammed into their heads that they didn't even know existed!  
  
When Lily walked into their practice one day, she laughed at the sight. Some of the courses were just ridiculous! There was an alligator infested swamp that they apparently had to get across without disturbing the creatures, there was a patch of the lawn that was pouring down rain, and then there was a patch of lawn that had crater sized holes everywhere.  
  
"What are they teaching them?" Lily wondered, amused for the first time in weeks.  
  
"How they can kill us." A dry voice sounded from behind Lily.  
  
Lily smirked and turned around to see a dirty, tired, and mean looking Kayla. "That bad?" Lily asked as she pointed her wand at Kayla and cleaned her off before she gave her best friend a hug.  
  
"Sorry," Lily smiled sheepishly at Kayla's amused look. "I'm still on the clock and I don't really want to go back looking like I've been through what ever the hell that you have."  
  
"You wouldn't want to go through what I have even if I was sparkling clean!" Kayla laughed. "No one would." Another voice grumbled. Lily smiled and looked over at a smoking Sirius.  
  
"Why are you smoking Si?" Lily asked with furrowed brows.  
  
Sirius gave her a look that said 'Don't you even think about making fun of me.' But Lily ignored it. She didn't grow up with Sirius and James without getting some of their qualities! "This is why you should have paid attention to me when I was teaching you! Think about it you idiots, if you would have paid attention to me, you wouldn't be here learning nothing of any use what so ever, now would you?" Lily gloated.  
  
Sirius and Kayla glared at her menacingly. "At least we know that she's returning to normal." Sirius whispered as he glared at his friend. Kayla nodded and broke into a smile, causing Sirius to look at her weirdly.  
  
"What?" Sirius asked, looking from Lily's grinning face to Kayla's now grinning face.  
  
"You mean-?" Kayla asked excitedly. Lily nodded happily.  
  
Sirius just stood there, getting more confused by the minute. "What is going on here?" he asked once again. Kayla turned towards him with a bright smile. "She's heard from James!" Kayla screamed.  
  
Sirius' face cleared and he rounded on Lily. "How is he? When is he coming home? Is he alright? Is he done with his assignment? And more importantly did he meet any hot chicks?" he asked in a rush, and threw in the last question just because.  
  
Lily smiled happily and answered him. "He's fine, we don't know when he's coming home yet, no, he's not done with his assignment, but almost. And if he did met any hot chicks he had better have kept away from them."  
  
Sirius smiled. He had been missing his best bud, and now that he knew that everything was all right, everything seemed a little better.  
  
That is until Lily made him explain why he had been smoking earlier when they all went out for dinner that night. Remus, Aria, Sirius, Kayla and Lily were all walking into an Italian restaurant when Sirius actually began to tell them what had happened to him during training that day.  
  
"I had to fight a freakin' dragon! These people are insane Lillers!" Sirius complained as they walked into the restaurant. "I mean, that is why there are such things as dragon experts!"  
  
Lily burst out laughing at the outraged look on Sirius' face. He just looked so funny with his arms crossed over his chest while he was leaning back on his chairs two back legs, and a scowl on his face. "Sirius," she gasped, "you look so funny like that!" Sirius' scowl turned darker. "But that still doesn't explain the smoke. What happened when you fought that dragon Sirius?" Lily asked slyly.  
  
Sirius colored. "Do I have to tell you?" Sirius pouted. Lily nodded her head.  
  
Sirius looked down at the table, coloring even more and said, "The dragon had a fancy to my bum, and tried to bite it. But I ran out of her way, and I guess she got a little irritated that every time she'd go to bite my bum that I would move, so she just set my bum on fire instead." He mumbled, but Lily, Aria, Remus and Kayla still got the story, and roared with laughter, making the other dinners look at them funny, or with disapproving looks.  
  
"Well, maybe you should have just told the dragon that your bum was taken," Kayla reasoned with a fit of giggles. Sirius glared at her. And then he glared at the rest of his friends.  
  
"Shut up already!" he screamed, which did no good seeing as they just kept on laughing until they couldn't stand to laugh anymore.  
  
When Lily looked up from wiping her eyes the first thing she saw was an extremely furious Sirius, the next thing she saw was a dark alley.  
  
Lily looked around, and jumped when someone walked right through her. She looked to her right, and saw someone would had some very untamable hair. Then she squinted. She would know that hair anywhere. It was James! She walked towards him, and figuring that she was invisible, stroked his cheek. It was rough, as if he hadn't been able to perform a shaving charm all day. But the weirdest thing was that his head whipped around to his side, where Lily was standing, and he whispered, "Hunter" out into the dark night air.  
  
Lily was shocked. Could he see her? Could he hear her? Could he feel her? She decided to test to see. "James?" she called out loud and clear, but he didn't stop looking at the spot where Lily's touch had come from. 'Nope, can't hear me, and obviously can't see me, seeing as I'm standing at his other side now.' She reasoned. But he must have been able to feel her. She got this wicked grin that would do the Marauders proud and lifted her hand up to his chest and laid it there, bringing his attention to that spot, and then she moved it up, to his neck until her thumb rested next to his ear. She then did something that she had a habit of doing all the time after they made love. She brushed her thumb over his entire ear, then trailed her hands into his hair.  
  
"Hunter?"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Hunter?" James whispered furiously. He knew that touch. No body ever touched him like Lily did. He wanted to hold her so badly. It was harder to be away from her than it was when she had to stay in Italy. They were engaged now! And oh, how he missed her touches, her smile, the way she felt next to him, on him, over him. And how he missed her love.  
  
James looked directly in front of him and blinked in astonishment. Lily was standing right there in front of him. "Lily?" he gasped quietly.  
  
He saw Lily blink furiously and nod. James shut his eyes for a long period of time then slowly open them again. Yep, she was still there. James exhaled sharply and drew her into his arms swiftly. "How'd you get here?" he asked into her hair.  
  
"I don't know. But I'm glad I'm here." She whispered into his neck. "I love you James, and we all miss you. Especially me." She told him as she looked into his eyes.  
  
James looked down into Lily's eyes and smiled a small smile. "I love you too Lily, and miss you all so much." He told her. "And especially home to you." He whispered as he slowly trailed a finger down her cheek. "But you should be getting back. It's dangerous here, and looking as you do you'd get harmed. I love you Lils."  
  
"I love you too, James." She whispered, and before she knew it, she was back in the restaurant staring at Sirius, and having everybody else at their table staring at her. "What?" she questioned them. 'I couldn't have really been gone, could I have?' she wondered.  
  
"Where'd you go?" Kayla asked, being the first one to break out of her trace.  
  
"Yea. We were just about to go and see if you went home or something." Aria informed Lily.  
  
Lily blinked. "Okay, it did happen then." She said in a small voice. 'What the hell happened!'  
  
"What happened?" Remus and Sirius questioned at once.  
  
"I ended up in the alley where James was, and I saw him. He said that he missed you all." She told them with a dazed look on her face.  
  
Sirius' jaw dropped. "Y-you saw him?" he nearly shouted, causing eyes and heads to turn towards their table once again. Lily nodded her head. "He looked worn out too." She said more to herself than them.  
  
Kayla smiled. "Lily. Sorry to change the subject, but you look as if you had just traveled back into the 1800's and you had to wear a corset 24/7." Kayla told her.  
  
Lily grimaced. She hated those things. They were so tight and itchy! Yuck! Lily shuddered. "No, it's just weird. One minute I was looking into Sirius' face, and the next I was having somebody walk through me, and then talking to James. I don't know, it was just . . . weird." She told them.  
  
Sirius nodded his head in understanding. It'd be weird for him too. "But what was with the corset comment, Pounce?" Sirius asked.  
  
Kayla smirked. "Lily here doesn't like the feel of them too much, and you should just see the look on her face when she sees one of them. It turns all white, and her eyes get big. It's actually pretty funny considering that she could just burn the things and go without anything on under the dress."  
  
"No, I couldn't!" Lily protested. "I refuse to walk around in a dress without a freakin' bra on! That hurts!"  
  
Kayla and Aria snickered, while Sirius shot Remus a confused look, who in return just shrugged.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Over the next two weeks, Lily began to have flashes of James, as he had of her.  
  
In all truth, Lily was returning to normal, and James had collected enough information to come home, which he would be doing the next day, and Lily was excited. Her man was finally returning home, and just in time to help her with moving into their new home.  
  
A/N: I am so sorry that it has been taking me so long to update with this story, but my stupid, idiotic teachers have decided that they just need to give me more homework! But I promise, chapter six will be up before next Wednesday.  
  
I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter, and I hope that you enjoyed reading. And if any of you want me to email you when I update, you are welcome to email me at mymonkeygurl21@aol.com.  
  
Mistress del Mare 


	6. Coming Home

Chapter 6 - Coming Home  
  
  
  
James reported into the office before he apparated to his parents' house. He was glad to be on English soil again. And even happier to the fact that in a few minutes he'd be able to see the people he cared most for. Especially Lily. He missed being able to see her whenever he wanted to.  
  
James landed on his parents' walkway, and walked up to the door. He wondered if anybody was home from work yet, seeing as it was only noon. James pushed the door open and stumbled back from the force of being attacked by a beautiful red head.  
  
"James," Lily sighed happily. Her man was back, and he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She was happy with the world at the moment.  
  
James closed his eyes to savor having her in his arms again, buried his head in the crook between her head and shoulder, and inhaled her scent. "God, Lils." He croaked, tears burning his eyes. "I love you so much, baby. I can't handle not being able to see you, hold you, talk to you. I can't," he whispered furiously.  
  
Lily sniffed and ran her fingers through his messy hair. "I know, I know."  
  
Someone from behind Lily cleared their throat loudly, causing the newly reunited couple to look in that direction and pull back from their embrace.  
  
"Sirius! Remus! Kayla! Aria!" James shouted with joy as he spotted his friends. He raced over to them, and gave Remus and Sirius a hug, and kissed both Kayla and Aria on their cheeks.  
  
Lily walked up to James, and needing the contact, just so that she knew that this wasn't just another dream, slid her arm around his waist and laid her head on his strong shoulder. James in turn, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and brought her closer to his body.  
  
James looked down at Lily and smiled. He missed being able to touch her so much that he didn't think that it was possible for him to let her go for more than a few minutes. He bent his head slightly and lovingly kissed the crown of her head before he directed her to the nearest room so that they could all sit down.  
  
"Where's my parents?" James asked as he sat down with Lily in a large lavender armchair, settling Lily comfortably in his lap.  
  
"Your Mum is out with my Mother doing something. She didn't know what time to expect you, but she should be returning anytime. Your Father is at work for the time being." Lily informed him, not opening her eyes, or moving from her spot on James' lap.  
  
James nodded his head, and stroked her sides' absentmindedly.  
  
Lily sighed and curled into his embrace even more.  
  
"James!" a voice called from the hallway.  
  
James grinned, but waited in his chair, not wanting to disturb the peacefully resting Lily. As Tiffany Potter rushed into the room, James' grin grew broader as she came over to him, and bended so that she could hug her son, and she didn't even care that Lily was stuck in between them.  
  
Tiffany Potter pulled back and looked at her sons face. "I missed you baby." She cried. James smiled boyishly. "I missed you too Mum," he told her.  
  
Alexandra came into the room and looked at her daughter, who was half way asleep in James' arms. "Lily, honey, why don't you get a bed? And I'm glad you're back in one piece James, sweetheart." She told James as she bent over to kiss him on the cheek.  
  
"No. I'm not going anywhere without him." Came the stubborn voice of Lily Evans.  
  
Alexandra shook her head and sat down on the sofa next to James and Lily along with Tiffany.  
  
"So-" Sirius started.  
  
"What was it like?" Kayla finished.  
  
James smiled and launched into the story of what Egypt was like.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Five days after James' return, Lily found that they were almost completely moved into their house. All they needed to do was find sheets for some of the spare bedrooms, and carpets, and some other small things like that.  
  
Lily spun around in what was her and James' room and sighed happily. They were going to make their love last, and nothing could take it away from them, she just had this feeling deep down in her gut that they would live a long, happy, peaceful life.  
  
Lily jumped a little as she felt a pair of strong arms that were covered in the darkest of blues wrap around her waist and lean her back into him. 'James,' her mind sighed as she recognized the scent that he wore.  
  
"What are you sighing about, beautiful?" James whispered into Lily's ear as she looked out one of the windows in the room that overlooked the cliffs.  
  
"I'm just so happy James. It feels as if everything is finally coming together for us, as if there's nothing else that can tear us apart," Lily whispered, as if scared that she was going to jinx herself, which she had a habit of doing.  
  
Lily felt James nod, and settled into his muscled chest. "Lets go out tonight," James suggested while looking out of the window. "Dancing, or dinner, or the movies, or something."  
  
Lily smiled happily. In the five days since James had been home they had spent their nights inside, curled up together on a rug, walking along the shore, long nights of passionate love making, and waking up next to each other. "Why not?" Lily asked as she turned around in his embrace to look into his beautiful sapphire blue eyes. "How about we go to a movie, that way we don't have to go through the necessities of changing," Lily suggested, pointing to James' outfit of Grey slacks, and a dark navy blue turtle neck sweater, and then pointed to her outfit, which consisted of a white wool scoop neck sweater, and black jeans.  
  
James smiled and nodded his agreement. "But I want to catch the sunset with you first, is that okay?" he asked as he lead Lily by the hand over to the terrace doors and opened them wide.  
  
Lily wrapped her arms around James' waist, and settled her head against his shoulder as they stood and watched the bright orange globe be reflected by the sea, and slowly disappear into it, leaving a beautiful arrangement of oranges, reds, and dark blues in the sky. "It's beautiful," Lily sighed.  
  
James looked down at Lily's red head, and smiled. "Not as beautiful as you." He told her as he tipped her jaw up. James looked into Lily's eyes as he lowered his head to give her a kiss.  
  
Lily closed her eyes as she felt James' mouth touch hers. Every time he kissed her, she felt like it was the first one. Each one was different. She opened her mouth as she felt his tongue sweep over her lips, and sighed into his mouth as his tongue lightly brushed over hers. She loved the way this man kissed. He made her feel as if nothing else in the world mattered besides her.  
  
James slipped his hands under her shirt and kneaded the muscles in her lower back as he pulled back from the kiss to get some much needed air. "We should probably get going if we plan on seeing a movie tonight." James whispered harshly. Kissing Lily always left him breathless, and in arousal. 'Never fails,' he thought as he became aware of how tight his pant had become.  
  
Lily stood on her tippy toes and nipped James's bottom lip. "Probably. Do you need anything?" she asked as she slipped out of his arms and headed towards the bedroom closet for a jacket.  
  
'You,' James thought silently. "No, I have everything that I need," he told her as he watched her put on a black leather jacket.  
  
"Right then, I have some muggle money on me, so we don't have to worry about that. You ready then?" she asked.  
  
James nodded his head, and grabbed her hand, preparing to apparate them to the Leaky Cauldron. Not that Lily couldn't apparate herself mind you, he just liked doing it this way better.  
  
Lily shook herself a little as her feet landed on the solid floor in the Leaky Cauldron. 'You have to get used to that!' her mind screamed at her.  
  
James started to guide Lily towards the front door, noticing that she was just standing there. "Sorry," Lily mumbled as she noticed him pulling her towards the door and started to walk on her own. Lily blinked as she saw a man fly by her on a bike and let out a long breath that she had inhaled to scream with as she saw the bike come towards her. "And people say that the magical world is dangerous," she complained. James chuckled and threw an arm around her shoulders as they began their journey to the Movie Theater a couple of blocks away from the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
"We're just not used to watching out for their contraptions," James explained as he bought to tickets with the money that Lily had handed him.  
  
Lily shook her head at him. "No, they are dangerous. Period. I mean these people do not watch where they are going!" Lily complained, still a little miffed that she almost got ran over by a 10 speeder. (A/N: Lily almost got ran over by a bicycle. Not one with a motor. Sorry if I confused you on that point!)  
  
James sighed and shook his head. Sometimes Lily could be very hard headed.  
  
Lily and James headed for a seat in the front of the movie theater so that they wouldn't have to worry about people being in the way of the screen. Lily sat down and crossed her legs in front of her, as her habit was. James sat down to her right, and dropped his arm around her shoulders once again, and nudged her head until it lay in a comfortable position on his shoulder.  
  
Surprisingly enough, the couple went through the whole movie without once kissing!  
  
Lily and James got up from their seats as the credits started to roll, and walked towards the exit. "I still don't know why muggles had to invent guns," James told her in a whispered voice, continuing the conversation that they were having while the movie was going on. "Because, that is the one of the few things that muggles have to protect themselves. They don't have wands like we do!" Lily told him in a hushed voice, not wanting anyone to hear them. James rolled his eyes and put on his jacket, checking the specially made pocket that held his wand.  
  
"So, they could be a peaceful race!" James joked.  
  
Lily opened her mouth to comment on that just as her work pager went off. "Damn it!" Lily swore as she looked at the message. Lily swore again as she realized that she had to go in and turned towards James with a guilty look. "I'm sorry James, but they're calling me in." she told him.  
  
James sighed and nodded his head. He knew that she had her job to do, but he still didn't like knowing that she worked nights. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then?" he asked her. Lily nodded her head and looked into his eyes.  
  
She stepped closer to him, not caring if they were on a crowded street, and lifted her hands to wrap around his neck, and pulled his head towards her for a kiss.  
  
The kiss wasn't passionate, but soft and dreamy. "I'll see you later, okay?" she whispered against James' parted lips.  
  
James nodded, his brain still too fried to conjure up any words. She still had the power to fry his brain with one kiss, and it amazed him. He knew her body like he knew his own, she had kissed every inch of his body, knew it like she knew her own, yet one kiss from her could still drive him into overdrive.  
  
"I'll miss you. Call if you can't make it, okay?" James asked as she stepped away, and went towards a deserted alley so that she could disapparate into work.  
  
"Okay! Bye, I love you." Lily said as she waved her wand.  
  
"Love you too." James told her seconds before she disappeared.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Lily rushed to the Intelligence section of the Ministry, only to see it swarming with people.  
  
"What's going on here?" Lily asked a guy who was walking by her.  
  
"Big case load, and if you happen to be Lily Evans, I feel sorry for you." The blond haired man informed her before rushing off.  
  
Lily gulped. 'What did I do?' she wondered as she went towards the office in which she had been assigned to, only to see Mr. Johnson sitting at her chair.  
  
"Ah, Miss Evans, you must be wondering what all of this about?" Mr. Johnson questioned as he saw Lily standing in the doorway.  
  
Lily nodded her head and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her.  
  
"Well, you remember your theory on the illegal items that have been sold? Well, we believe that you are right, and we want you to head the research of how to make this potion, and what is needed." He informed her with a bright smile.  
  
'Wait!' her mind screamed. 'I have to find out about an Invincibility Potion! Just great! Those are harder than hell to find! Nice going Evans!'  
  
"Of course sir. But if you don't mind my asking, where am I to look for this information?" she asked.  
  
Mr. Johnson smirked. 'Smirked?!' Lily thought. 'Oh, this can't be good.' "In the Ministry's banned section of books. I'd say that there are only 12,000 books in there." He told her before opening the door. "Oh, and feel free to take some home with you if you wish to do work there!" he called over his shoulder as he shut the door.  
  
Lily groaned and flopped down into her chair. It's not that she didn't mind reading, in fact she loved it, but 12,000 books?! And she was willing to bet that it'd be the last book that she chose that had the answers that she needed. Lily sighed and got up. 'I might as well start now,' she thought as she headed towards the library.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Within the next 20 days, no one saw much of Lily. She was either sleeping or working. She barely even had time to say 'Hi' to James or Kayla or anyone else when they came to visit her at work!  
  
But, on the 21 day, Lily finally found the book that she needed.  
  
Within the pages of The Dangerous Potions And How To Make Them, Lily found a very detailed list of the Invincibility potion. Lily marked the page after reading it, and gave it over to Mr. Johnson, who in turn told Lily that she looked like hell and needed the day off. Lily gratefully took the offer and went home to sleep.  
  
Who knew that reading could take so much out of you? Lily wondered as she began to drift to sleep on the couch in James' study. She didn't care where she was, as long as the thing was soft, which it was. 'God, please don't let anyone wake me up for the next 10 years, please?' she thought and fell asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N:  
  
Okay, this chapter hasn't gone through my beta yet, so there might be some problems with this chapter, so sorry. But I did get it to you guys by Wednesday! Aren't you proud of me?  
  
Okay, give me 5 reviews and I might start on a chapter sooner.  
  
But no matter what, I will have another chapter out by the end of next week. I promise.  
  
Thanks for reading, and please, PLEASE review!!  
  
Mistress del Mare 


	7. The Wedding Date

Authors Note: The first half of this chapter has sex in it, so if you do not wish to read it, scroll down until you see this; '~*~*~*~' .  
  
  
  
Chapter 7 -The Wedding Date  
  
  
  
James apparated into his study and made his way to the couch. He stopped short when he saw Lily sleeping peacefully on it. 'I wonder how long she is off,' James thought to himself as he picked her up and carried her towards their room.  
  
"Mmm . . . James," Lily mumbled sleepily as she snuggled further into James' warm chest. "Where are you taking me?"  
  
"To be so that you can sleep on something other than a couch," he answered with a quick kiss on her cheek. "Will you stay with me?" Lily asked him quietly. James smiled as he laid her down in the middle of the rich blue of the comforter that laid over their Queen sized bed, and turned down the sheets next to her so that she could get under the sheets. "If you want," he answered as he removed her shoes, socks and robe.  
  
"Will you make love to me?" Lily asked, her eyes still closed.  
  
James stopped in the act of untying the strings that held the green-blue curtains to the gleaming cherry wood post and swallowed. Hard. "If you want," he rasped as he let the curtain fall into place, obscuring the view of the fireplace incase anyone decided to call on them.  
  
"Oh, I want," Lily smiled and opened her eyes languidly.  
  
James looked into Lily's sleep clouded eyes and smiled lovingly at her. He raised his hand and unclasped the button that held the sides of his robe together and shrugged the garment off of his shoulders and off of his arms, leaving the article of clothing to puddle in a heap on the hardwood floor of the room. He stepped closer to the bed and let his eyes wander from her eyes and down her body, which was still clad in the tight, tan button up shirt and tight black jeans, and then slowly dragged his gaze back up her body until their gazes met again. Sapphire blue meets emerald green.  
  
James kneeled on the edge of the bed, and lowered his head, all the while keeping eye contact with Lily. He brushed his lips softly, tenderly, against her soft, warm, pink lips once. Twice. And then a third time. As he pulled back from the brush of lips again, Lily groaned in frustration and lifted her arms from their place at her sides and wrapped them securely around his neck, and tugged his head back down for a kiss.  
  
James smiled a small smile against Lily's lips, and parted them when he felt the tip of her tongue - the tongue that he knew would give him immense pleasure if he let her do so - against his soft, warm lips lightly.  
  
Lily slipped her tongue inside of James' mouth and sighed happily into the warmth to the kiss. James sucked on her tongue before brushing the tip of his over the flat of Lily's tongue.  
  
James slipped a hand slowly under the fabric of Lily's shirt, and tenderly ran his hand up to her naval and rested it there, in that position, his thumb making small, sensual circles around the naval, while the rest of his hand cupped her side. He knew that if he were to put his other hand in the same position on the other side of her naval, his hands would span the entire length of her smooth, flat stomach.  
  
Lily arched wantonly under his hand, trying, urging his hand to move up her ribs and to cup her full breast. When James kept his hand in the same spot, she groaned in frustration. She then lowered her hands from their place around his neck, and slid them down his sides until she came to the hem of the wool maroon sweater that he had put on earlier that morning before heading off to work and tugged it up past his waist, over his chest, and waited until he lifted his arms so that she could get it over his head. Lily sighed with satisfaction as her hands touched his bare chest. She loved his chest. The hard muscle of it, the way the tanned skin rippled at the barest brush of her fingers, the way that the taut muscles would feel against her bare breasts.  
  
She could stare at them for hours. For some reason something about James' chest always made her feel . . . hot, steamy, breathless. And if he was wet all the more better.  
  
James inhaled sharply as Lily allowed her thumb to flick over a hard, erect nipple, and bent down to engage Lily in a hot, passionate kiss, showing her with that kiss just how needy he felt. How much he needed her. James' hand began working hastily on the buttons on her shirt. As soon as he got the piece of clothing off, he quickly ridded her breasts from their confinement of the red lace bra that Lily wore.  
  
James broke their kiss to trail soft, butterfly kisses down her chin, on the line of her jaw until he came to her ear, and he slipped his tongue past his lips to lick at the shell of the ear, then licked a trail to her pulse point, and licked, laved nibbled, and sucked at it until he was fully satisfied that his mark would stay there. He listened to Lily's gasps, took them as a reward, and continued down the white column of her throat, kissing and nibbling at the tissue there.  
  
"James, please." Lily pleaded, but to no avail. James begun sucking at the crock of her neck where it met with her shoulders and she moaned with pleasure.  
  
"Please," Lily begged frantically, wanting, no, needing his mouth on her breast.  
  
James left his current spot and slowly kissed his way down to one of her breasts, licking around the base of her nipple, but never taking the dark red bud into his mouth.  
  
"James!" Lily cried out.  
  
James inwardly grinned and covered the aching rock hard nipple with his warm mouth lovingly.  
  
Lily's hands flew to his hair, and held him there, her grip tight on the silken strands of his hair. She moaned as soon as she felt the sensation of his mouth over her nipple. When his teeth scrapped over the sensitive peak, she groaned, full of pleasure. She gasped as he sucked on the bud, and let out a strangled groan when he repeated the same torture on her opposite breast.  
  
"James," Lily moaned loudly as she felt his fingers graze the underside of her breast, where she happened to be most sensitive to touch. "I want you," she gasped, wanting what she had been too busy in the past twenty days to have. " I need you," she added.  
  
James was sure that he heard Lily talk, but had no clue what she had said, and was too focused on what he was doing to let go of the sweet nipple to ask what she had said.  
  
James lowered himself onto his elbows as he brought his legs onto the bed to straddle Lily's legs and he reluctantly pulled away from her plump, full, firm breast.  
  
James looked at Lily's flushed face. It was thrown back with wild abandonment, cushioned by the pillow behind her head, her red, kiss bruised mouth slightly parted to better breathe and he grinned. He loved it when she looked like this. So . . . needy. Knowing that he was the reason she was like this, that she was needy because of him, and no one else. Knowing that he was the only one who could give her what she so needed. Knowing that no one else would ever be able to give her what he had to give her.  
  
James saw green specks flicker behind her closed eyelids and genteelly ran a fingertip from the middle of her forehead down to the tip of her pretty, small, feminine nose, and brushed it against her lips. She opened her mouth and took the digit into it, sucking on it, running her tongue tantalizingly around it.  
  
James groaned as he felt all blood he had left drop below his belt line. God he was hard for her.  
  
James sat on his haunches, unbuttoned the row of buttons on Lily's pants before he sat up, and tugged the jeans, along with her panties, down her legs, with Lily's help. Leaving Lily totally, blessedly bare to James' wandering gaze as he got off of the bed and swiftly disposed himself of his shoes, socks, the restriction of his black slacks and boxers before joining Lily once again on the bed, not even noticing the appraisal that she gave his body as he stripped.  
  
Lily propped herself on her elbows to better watch James strip himself of the remainder of his clothes. She allowed her gaze to wander down his sculpted chest, watching as the hard lines of his body shifted his every move he made, as his arms contracted. She watched in fascination as the muscles across James' chest drew tight then released, and goggled as he bent over to take his socks off of his feet and she got a very nice view of his back and the muscles in it as they bunched. It wasn't as if she had never seen this, but every time she saw him naked it was like the first time. She was so fascinated by his body that it seemed like it was new to her every time she saw it bared to her eyes.  
  
As James straightened again, and his hands traveled down his body to his belt buckle, Lily let her gaze travel from his chest, down to his flat, hard stomach, and allowed her gaze to linger on his obvious arousal of for her, and continued all the way down to his feet before going through the same journey only in the opposite direction.  
  
Lily looked into James' deep blue eyes until he was straddling her hips. Her eyes then dropped to his mouth, and she licked her lips in anticipation.  
  
James moved one of his legs and nudged it between Lily's slightly parted tanned legs and bent his head to capture her mouth in a sweet kiss as his other leg also settled in between her now spread legs.  
  
James moved one of his hands from it's place near Lily's head and starting from her collar bone, ran his forefinger down her chest, through the valley created by her breasts, down her abdomen, dipped inside of her belly- button, thankful that she didn't have a ring in it at the moment, and then slowly, tantalizingly slowly, slid a finger into her, and then out. He then added another finger and slid them both into her body. His two fingers were engulfed in Lily's sweet, hot, wet heat.  
  
Lily's hips jerked as James slowly moved his fingers in and out of her body in a slow even rhythm. In and out. In. Out. In. And then she gave a sharp, pleasure filled cry as she hit her climax.  
  
  
  
When Lily regained enough of her senses she realized that James had entered her while she was recovering from her orgasm. Lily groaned and lifted her still hips off of the bed to grind against his hipbone to get him to start moving.  
  
James looked down at Lily's flushed face as he pulled himself almost all of the way out of her body before he thrust himself deeply back into her body. James paused. "Lil," he gasped hoarsely. "Open your eyes, share with me." He requested.  
  
Lily fought to open her eyes, and when she finally managed, she was staring into two blue orbs. She then let herself go free, and allowed her magic to run free, surround them, engulf them and sighed in content as she felt the power of James' magic join hers, making them complete as one.  
  
James locked his gaze with Lily's and started to move. Slowly at first, barely moving his hips at all. He moved in slow, controlled thrusts, and Lily's hips instinctively caught the rhythm and she moved with him.  
  
It didn't take much until Lily was crying out James' name in utter abandonment as she peaked again, this time more forcibly, her walls clenching around James as her spasms went through her body.  
  
The tightening of Lily's walls around James' member was too much and he followed suit, releasing himself inside of her before collapsing on top of her body, their sweat mingling, and chests heaving in harmony.  
  
"Oh God," Lily mumbled happily, contentedly, a few minutes later as she stroked James' back in lazy motions.  
  
Lily trailed her lightly down James' spine, making him shiver at the sensation. Lily nuzzled her face in the crook of James' neck happily and inhaled his scent. Ocean air, sweat, male, and cologne. She could always tell when it was James because of his scent. No one else that she had ever come across had ever had this unique smell that was James and James alone.  
  
James chuckled lightly and summoned enough energy - barely - to roll over onto his back, bringing Lily along with him so that she was sprawled on top of him, her legs in a tangled mess with his, her arms resting loosely behind his neck, and her face still snuggled in the crock of his neck.  
  
Seeing as the blankets had already been pulled back, James pulled the warmth of the covers over their quickly cooling body from the night breeze that managed to creep into the house.  
  
"James?" Lily asked as she moved around to get comfortable on James' body.  
  
"Hmmm?" he replied while lazily stroking Lily's back and neck, then continuing up to tangle in the auburn mass of Lily's hair before stroking back down Lily's back.  
  
"When do you think that we should set our wedding date? We have everything else done already besides the clothes. I mean we've picked the flower arrangements, the Cathedral, the decorations, we've already gotten a contract with a catering business, and contracts for God knows what else, we've got the reception area, we've made up the guest list, but we don't have a date." Lily explained, finding it a little weird that she brought this up after just having mind-blowing sex with James.  
  
James thought about this for a few minutes. It was true since he had asked her to marry him back in June all they had been doing was planning for the wedding, and they had been trying to think of a date before he had gotten sent away, and lately she had been too busy to even start to think of her wedding. "How about during winter? You've always liked that season. Like maybe sometime during December so that we could be back from our Honeymoon before Christmas." James suggested.  
  
Lily pondered on that and nodded her head at the suggestion. "How about the 10th? That leaves us exactly two weeks before Christmas, and if we return on Christmas Eve, we won't miss the celebrations with our families."  
  
"That's perfect," James told her, but at the moment, she could have said that she wanted to have the wedding in two days time and he would have said the same thing. He was just too damn satiated to be anything but agreeable.  
  
"Mmm," was all that came from Lily as she started to fall asleep, the missing hours starting to catch up with her, that and being weighed down by the after affects of satisfying sex was too much for her, and she found herself giving herself over to the sandman.  
  
James kissed Lily's head and whispered a goodnight before quickly falling asleep too.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~ A/N: for those of you who didn't read that, James and Lily had just set the wedding date for December 10.  
  
  
  
Beep, Beep, Beep! A sound started into the quiet room.  
  
Lily woke up, rolled out of James' arms, and over on to her back, and groped around the surface of her nightstand table and slapped the off button on the alarm clock. She then rolled back over into James' arms and nestled her head on his shoulder.  
  
"I 'spose we need to get up," James yawned as he pulled Lily closer to his side.  
  
"I don't wanna get up," Lily pouted and cuddled deeper into James' body. James laughed at Lily's tone and shook his head. Lily frowned, poked him with her forefinger in between his ribs, and asked him, "What's so funny?"  
  
"Nothing," James smartly told her. "How about you make breakfast and I grab a shower? Unless, you'd care to join me in the shower, then I say the hell with food." James asked hopefully. She had never shared a shower with him before, and he couldn't help but being a little curious as to what it would be like. Making love to her as the water pounded over their heads, steam creeping around their bodies, water making it's way down their skin, Lily's legs wrapped tightly around his hips as he thrust into her time and time again, the water and soap making his entrances smooth and easier, sucking on her breasts, wet and glistening with water, the taste on her and the water mixed together on his tongue, and her wet hair turning brown from the water tangled in his fists as he anchored her to him so that she didn't slid all over the tiled wall of the shower.  
  
James blinked rapidly, and noticed that his usual morning state wasn't so usual anymore. His fantasy had made him hard. Really hard, he corrected himself as he felt Lily shift her body closer to his erection.  
  
Lily raised her eyebrows at the feel of James' reaction to his fantasy and looked at him. "That must have been one hell of a dream you had last night, baby," she smirked. "But as promising as that shower sounds, we would both end up being late for work if I was to share your shower with you. But who knows, I might just want another shower tonight," she winked as she got up and walked towards the closet to get her sea green robe off of it's hook in the closet.  
  
James groaned and watched as Lily picked her robe up and enjoyed the view of her backside. And mainly her ass and legs. James sighed with displeasure as she covered her beautiful body with the silk robe. "Very well," James sighed and resigned himself to a cold shower.  
  
Lily giggled a little and walked out of their room. Just as she reached the staircase, she heard the shower turn on. Lily walked down the stairs and then headed towards the kitchen.  
  
''What do I feel like cooking?'' Lily asked herself as she stood in front of the open refrigerator door. Lily tapped her foot on the maroon and white tiles beneath her feet as she thought. "Fuck it we'll just have pancakes and bacon," she decided and then proceeded to pull out the makings.  
  
By the time James had entered the kitchen, the table had been set, there was coffee and orange juice was in the middle of the table that they had set up in the kitchen so that it wasn't necessary to always eat in the large dinning room. James was dressed in loose dark blue jeans, and a white long sleeved shirt, his hair was still dripping wet from his shower, and he smelled like he always did. Lily was just finishing up the last of the pancake batter as she heard him get a cup from the cupboard for some orange juice. And as is his habit, he will have one glass of orange juice, and then change over to coffee.  
  
"God you're beautiful, you know that?" James complimented as he set down his cup and came from behind Lily, wound his arms around her small waist, and pulled her back against his chest.  
  
Lily had just turned the burner off, lifted a hand to his hair, and ran her fingers through the thick, wet, silken strands. "You should dry your hair, love," she murmured as she pulled away from him, picked up the plate of pancakes and bacon, and carried them over to the table.  
  
Lily set the plates down on the tabletop, grabbed her wand from her robe pocket and with a swish of her wand she placed a warming spell on the food. Lily bent down and kissed the crown of James' head. "I'm going to grab my shower now," she said as James began to pile food onto his plate. James nodded his head, trying to hurriedly swallow his orange juice to say something as he drenched his pancakes with the maple syrup. By the time James had managed to swallow, Lily was already out the door, so James shrugged his shoulders and ate his breakfast.  
  
Lily shook her head in amusement as she walked towards the bathroom in the Master bedroom. She slipped off the robe, discarded it on the floor, and turned the water to warm and stepped underneath the pounding rainfall of water that came from the faucet. She washed off the sweat and sex from last night quickly and turned off the shower.  
  
As she stepped out of the shower stall, she saw James standing in the doorway leaning against the doorjamb with his arms across his chest. Lily raised an eyebrow at him as she wrapped a towel around her body and walked over to the sink, picked up her toothbrush and after applying the toothpaste, began to brush her teeth.  
  
"I brought your food up. It's on the table in the room," James told her as his gaze was busy following the path of a single water drop and he swallowed uncomfortably as he saw it disappear under the towel. James closed his eyes and imagined the path that that drop of water would take if the towel hadn't absorbed it.  
  
Lily just nodded her thanks and watched James watching her. Or, more accurately following the path of a droplet of water that was on her skin. Lily rinsed her mouth out, put her toothbrush away, and made her way towards James.  
  
"May I?" she asked as she stood before him.  
  
"For a kiss," James bargained.  
  
Lily smiled and raised herself onto her toes and settled her lips on his. She gave his bottom lip a light nip and a lick before backing down onto the flats of her feet.  
  
James opened his eyes and groaned. He knew that that was all that she was going to give him. James reluctantly moved out of her way, made his way towards the bed, and sat near the footboard.  
  
Lily took a couple of quick bites from her food and walked towards their closet and threw open the doors. She walked inside and looking at her side tried to find something to wear. She decided on a pair of tight gray pants, and a dark emerald green turtle neck sweater. She really didn't want everybody to see the massive hickey she had on her throat from James.  
  
Lily walked back into the room and laid her clothes on the dresser and taking the tube of lotion off of the long cherry dresser, applied the sharp smelling lotion to her body. Next, she sprayed herself with her perfume which smelled like night jasmine, and then she took out a silk green bra that was cut low to show off the flesh of her breast, and matching underwear. She slipped on the underwear with the towel still on, and then disposed of the towel as she clasped her bra in one go behind her back. She slipped her arms through the straps and then shook her pants out before stepping into them. Lily was aware that James was watching her every move, but that didn't mean that she was going to go slower than she needed to, or torment the poor guy. She zipped and buttoned the pants up then slipped on the turtleneck sweater before walking over one of the chairs that was around the small table in the corner of the room to put her socks and shoes on.  
  
Lily sat up straight and then turned towards her breakfast. She ate half of it then got back up and went into the bathroom to brush out her hair and put it up into a ponytail.  
  
When she came back out, James was still in the same spot.  
  
Lily smiled, walked over to him, and sat down in his lap. "I love you, James," she told him.  
  
James smiled down at her and wrapped his arms around her body. "I love you too, Lily," he told her.  
  
"And on December 10 I'm going to become your wife."  
  
James smiled happily and nodded his head. That means that in four months, Lily and he would be legally married.  
  
Lily smiled and got up off of his lap. "If you want, you can finish my breakfast," she told him with a wave of her hand towards her half eaten breakfast, "but I'm off to work so that I can get a longer lunch today."  
  
James stood up and nodded his head as he walked over to where Lily was picking up her jacket. "Okay, I'll see you tonight?" he asked as he hugged her.  
  
"Yes, you will," Lily grinned up at him. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too," James replied before letting her go so that she could apparate into her office.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Come on Kayla!" Lily Evans begged her best friend five minutes before break. "I know that you have a three hour lunch break today! Everybody except the heads of the departments do! And I want to find my dress!" Lily cried.  
  
"Okay," the raven-haired girl finally gave in.  
  
"Thank you!" Lily sang happily as she threw her arms around the black haired, gray eyed version of herself.  
  
"Are we going to get going or not?" Kayla grumbled, trying to act mad, but failing miserably. Lily's good moods were always contagious.  
  
Lily dragged Kayla into Diagon Alley and went straight towards the Bridal Dress Makers store.  
  
Lily entered the store and began to look around. She knew what kind of dress that she wanted, but so far, she hadn't been able to find it.  
  
"Good morning, Ladies, how may I be of service to you?" an elderly woman with graying hair and wrinkling skin asked Lily and Kayla as they walked in. Lily turned towards the lady and extended her hand. "Hello. I'm looking for a wedding dress," Lily told the lady as she shook her hand.  
  
"Then you have come to the right place," the saleswoman informed. "Do you know what you are looking for in a dress, or do you just wish to look around?"  
  
Lily looked at the woman with a smile. She was the only one so far who hadn't thought that they knew what would be best for Lily's figure and started to pile gowns on her. "Yes, I do know what I'm looking for, but it seems as if no one has the style that I want," Lily confided with a smile. "Well, if we don't have it, we also design dresses. So if you don't find a satisfactory dress already here in the store, we may design one for you," the saleswoman informed Lily with pride.  
  
"By the way, I'm Lily and this is my best friend, Kayla," Lily introduced. The older woman smiled at them and with a nod of her head said, "And my name is Crystal." Kayla, deciding to finally talk said, "It's a pleasure to meet you. And I do believe that you will be seeing more of me sometime in the future." Kayla said with a rare smile.  
  
Crystal looked at Kayla. "Are you getting married too?" she asked Kayla. Kayla nodded her head and explained, "We haven't set the date yet, and we wanted to get one wedding out of the way before we start planning the next."  
  
Crystal congratulated Kayla on her engagement, and then began to question Lily on her gown.  
  
"Well, about three years ago I saw this woman getting fitted for a dress in a dressmakers shop in Florence, and ever since then I've lusted after that dress. But the problem is, I can't find that particular dressmaker again.  
  
"The dress itself is made out of ivory silk, it's sleeveless, and flows down ones body in shimmering waves. The skirt of the dress isn't too full, but it also isn't pin straight, it comes to rest maybe two inches away from the body. It has no train, but lace is attached to the skirt of the dress as a separate layer so that it drapes over the silk, and it also parts slightly in the front of the dress, but not enough to tell unless I'm moving. Did that part make any sense?" Lily paused to ask. She knew what she was talking about, but she didn't know if the dressmaker did. Crystal nodded her head, and waved her hand at Lily to continue. "Right, the top part of the dress is a corseted bodice with beads and lace embroidery."  
  
Crystal nodded her head and made her way towards the back of the store. Lily and Kayla didn't know if they were supposed to follow her or stay where they were, so they figured that they were safer staying in one spot. "Well, are you coming or not!" the lady questioned from the other end of the store.  
  
Lily looked at Kayla and shrugged her shoulders before heading towards the voice of the saleswoman. As soon as Lily rounded the corner she gasped. There was here dress, exactly how she remembered it! "That's it," Lily whispered in astonishment.  
  
"If that doesn't fit, it can be sized, can't it?" Kayla asked, for once being the sensible one. Crystal nodded her head in response. "Can you get that down so that we may see what it looks like on her?" Crystal nodded her head once again and began the process of riding the manikin of the dress.  
  
Kayla pushed Lily towards one of the dressing rooms and told her to strip, which Lily did with this sort with eagerness that brought a smile to Kayla's lips. Kayla went back into the store part and retrieved the dress from Crystal's arms and returned to Lily. Kayla helped Lily put the dress on, and buttoned up the row of buttons on the back of the dress.  
  
"It's a little loose on you," Kayla commented as she pulled the fabric tighter around Lily's upper body to see what the dress would like when it was tight. "But it looks good on you," she commented.  
  
Lily stepped out of the dressing room, her arm holding the top up and stood on the raised platform so that Crystal could mark where the dress needed to be taken in, and as the length was too long for Lily's body, she also made note of how much of the material needed to be hemmed.  
  
"Is that all?" Lily asked as she was sent back into the changing room to change.  
  
"Yes, my dear, that is all that that requires. But I'm going to need you to come back in three days so that I can fit you again with the improvements," Crystal told Lily over the privacy of the changing screen.  
  
"Okay, I can do that."  
  
"What's with the hickey, Lils?" Kayla asked with a grin as she indicated the slightly purple circle on Lily's neck.  
  
Lily blushed and knowing that Kayla would get it out of her somehow decided to just tell her the truth. "James. Last night." Was all that she said before Kayla grinned knowingly. "So, did you leave him with one in return?" Kayla asked, knowing that Lily liked to leave marks on James. Lily shook her head regretfully. "I was more concentrated on him finishing is job than giving him a hickey, and plus, I didn't see it until this morning," she informed her friend.  
  
Kayla laughed and shook her head mournfully at her friend. "Too bad," she joked as she took the dress from Lily's outstretched hands.  
  
Kayla exited the changing room with Lily's dress in hand while Lily put on her regular clothes, and smiled as she heard Lily say something that sounded like, "I know".  
  
Lily and Kayla walked up to the front counter so that Lily could give Crystal a way to find her.  
  
"Thank you so much," Lily said for the tenth time before she exited the Dress store. Lily turned towards Kayla with a smile on her face.  
  
"I can't wait until James is able to see me in that dress Kayla! Although it's going to be a couple of months before that can happen, but I just can't wait to see his face!" Lily babbled happily. "But I still need to get the bridesmaid dresses and the flower girl dresses. And then I need to drag James, Sirius, Remus and Kyle (a cousin of James' who is included in the bridal party) to get their tuxes. But other than that, I'm finished with getting everything for the wedding. Now all I have to do is write out the invitations and send them . . . I should probably do those this weekend though. What are you doing this weekend?" Lily asked Kayla, finally pausing in her rant.  
  
"I'm going to be stuck writing invitations with you?" Kayla guessed and received a happy nod from Lily.  
  
Lily opened her mouth to say something, but was cut short by the sound of someone clearing their throat and touching Lily's arm.  
  
Lily looked to her other side and saw Snape standing there looking at with this dazed look on his face. "What do you want Snape?" Lily asked coldly. That seemed to give Snape this dreamy look in his eyes though.  
  
"You looked beautiful in that dress Lily," Snape gushed. Lily's eyes got big. "You saw me?" she asked. Snape nodded his head, causing the greasy tendrils to fall over his eyes. "You were beautiful." He repeated.  
  
Lily shook her head and dislodged her arm from his grip. "Goodbye, Snape," Lily forcibly told him.  
  
"Wait!" he called out to her as she and Kayla started towards a restaurant so that they could get something to eat.  
  
"What?" Lily snapped as she turned around.  
  
Snape began fumbling around in his pockets for something and then with it clasped in his hand, walked over to Lily until he stood directly in front of her.  
  
"You don't need Potter, Lily, I can give you everything that you deserve," Snape started. Lily's eyes had to have shown her anger caused by what he said because he started to tremble lightly. "Well, you see, I have been wanting to do this for a few years now, and I think that it is time that I do so," he continued.  
  
Lily, thinking that he mean to kiss her, backed away from him quickly.  
  
"Lily, will you marry me?" Snape asked.  
  
Lily stood in the middle of the street in Diagon Alley and just looked at Snape like he lost his mind.  
  
Kayla was doubled over holding her sides and laughing uncontrollably.  
  
"Wait until Sirius and James hear about this one," Kayla howled, still laughing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Authors Note.  
  
That is the longest chapter that I have ever written! 29 pages. I'm so proud of myself. LOL. Well, I hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter. And I have already begun writing the next chapter, but I have found that I have a problem that is called writers block on it, so I have to ask my friend to help me with ideas.  
  
The next chapter needs to have something to do with Lily's reaction to Snape's proposal, and the passing of time until the night before the wedding. If you have any ideas on what I can do, please leave them in a review, or email them to me at mymonkeygurl21@aol.com . I would really appreciate it. Thanks.  
  
Thank You For Reading,  
  
Mistress del Mare 


	8. He Did What?

Chapter 8 – He Did What?

Lily stood there in the street, staring dumfound at Snape as a strong, tanned hand wrapped around her arm, pulling her out of her state. She turned around to see the confusion on James' face as he peered down at her. Kayla, still laughing uncontrollably, was going to be no help. "He- he- proposed!" Lily exclaimed wildly.

James' hand loosened from Lily's arm considerably, and his face was blank, but his eyes showed his shock. "He did _what?!_" he roared. 

Lily shrank back from the volume of James' out burst. "James?" she asked hesitantly. She could tell that he was furious. But with who, she had no idea. 

James didn't answer Lily, instead, he took the necessary three steps to get into Snape's face. "You want to marry Lily, do you?" he growled. "It looks like you're a little late for that _Snape,_ she wouldn't marry you if she had the chance, and I know _that_ for a fact. But I'm getting tired of you trying to ruin my relationship with her. _I _know that you were the one who set all of those girls on me in 6th year, _I _know that you tried to keep me away longer when I was on my trip! So why don't you get this through your extremely oily, and _empty_ head! _She doesn't like you! She loathes you!_" he very nearly roared. 

Snape narrowed his black eyes at James and snarled, "She must not, because she hasn't ever said one thing about it to me." 

James' temper, which he had frantically been trying to rein in, finally got the better of him, and he punched Snape in the face, blackening his eye. Snape staggered back in shock, then swung at James, aiming for his face, but missing and ended up hitting James in chest – hard. James sucked in a deep breath and plowed a fist into the soft muscles of Snape's stomach.

"James! Stop! Please stop, James!" Lily cried as she watched James hit Snape in the stomach again. Lily saw Snape do a girls maneuver and knee James, and she shrieked in outrage. _'How dare he?!'_ Lily thought as she inserted herself in between the gasping James and the smug – but hurting – Snape. 

"You did all of that?" Lily yelled at the top of her lungs, causing Snape to flinch at the tone, and anybody who knew her temper to take two big steps back. 

~*~*~*~

Kayla stopped laughing as soon as the outburst came past James' lips. '_This is not going to be good,'_ she thought as she wrapped her arm around Sirius' waist, who had shown up along with Aria, Remus, and James. 

Sirius began to snicker as James pounded on Snape, causing Kayla to elbow him sharply in the ribs. Sirius looked down at her innocently and gave her a peck on the cheek before turning back to the spectacle which had drawn quite a crowd.

Kayla looked at Lily's face, and inwardly gulped. Lily was_ mad._ And Lily this mad was _not_ a good thing. Not a good thing at all. "Sirius, honey," she whispered. "I think that we should move away from Huntress." 

Sirius frowned as he looked down at Kayla and then looked towards Lily, and he began to see why she had made the suggestion. Just as he began to pull Kayla back along with him, James was suddenly kneed, causing Sirius to stop and wince for James with sympathy, for he knew what the pain that his friend was going through personally. 

And then, all you could hear was a furious woman yelling, "You did all of that?"

This time, Sirius did step away, two _big_ steps away, as did James, Kayla, Remus and Aria.

~*~*~*~

Lily could see Snape gulp, and inwardly grinned triumphantly. "Do you honestly think that I have any kind of feelings – besides disgust – harbored for you?" she growled menacingly. Snape nodded his head sadly and his eyes began to dart around the circle that had formed around them. He hadn't known that they had created such an audience. 

"Ah, Lily, dear, why don't we take-" Snape started, but was cut off by a fluid rush of Italian. He didn't need a translator to tell him that he was being told off. 

Eyes flashing a vivid green-blue, Lily stepped closer to Snape, bringing them face-to-face. "Don't you _dare_ Lily, dear, me! I'm not your dear, and I don't even want you to call me by Lily!" she bellowed. Snape took an instinctive step back. 

Lily took a step forward, following Snape. "I want you to listen to me Snape, and I want you to listen to me really carefully. _I do NOT like you. I do NOT have any feelings towards you whatsoever. I want you out of my life, and I want you to STAY out of my life! And if you ever- and I mean EVER try to touch me, or do harm to James or any other person I know, I will hurt you, _got that?" she fumed. Snape nodded his head weakly.

Lily gave a brilliant smile, and started to turn around, making Snape exhale thankfully. "Oh, yes, I quite forgot," she muttered as she spun around and punched Snape squarely on his nose, breaking the overly large cartilage. 

Lily turned back around happily, walked over to her fiancée, and hugged him. "You alright?" she whispered into his ear with a nip. James gave a barely audible groan and nodded his head. "Fine." Lily smiled and pulled away. 

"So what are all of you doing here?" Lily asked, indicating James, Remus, Sirius, and Aria. 

Aria smiled serenely and answered for the rest. "We were heading out for lunch when we came across the two of you and decided to stop." Lily nodded her head, and nudged James in the opposite direction than the one Snape was in. "Where we're you guys going?" she asked. 

Kayla and Lily ended up joining the rest for lunch, but before leaving to go back to their different departments in the Ministry, Lily instructed that that Saturday fittings were going to be held for the tuxes and the bridesmaid dresses. The group nodded their acknowledgement before parting.

~*~*~*~

Three days after the Snape incident, as everyone now called it, James, Remus, Sirius, and James' cousins were sitting impatiently in a tux shop, waiting for Alexandra Evans and Tiffany Potter to find the type of tuxes that Lily made clear that she had wanted. 

Tiffany and Alex had informed Lily in no uncertain terms that she was not to worry about the tuxes, and that they would take care of them. So, Lily was a few streets away from the guys, trying to find bridesmaid dresses, and a flower girl dress for her cousins' daughter. 

James was called up first to be fitted for the 'monkey suit', and he went without reluctance. He was too used to these sort of things, having been to many formal affairs before this. Next was Sirius, who commented that he would like to draw white lines on suits too – much to the tailor's amusement. Incidentally, the tailor refused Sirius' offer to help- smart fellow that he was. Next was Remus, and then Kyle went up. By the time that they were all done, they were trying to escape the Mother's as fast as they could without getting into any trouble. 

Two streets away, Lily was going through colors for her bridesmaid dresses. She had already found the style she wanted – a long, strapless dress, that tucks in at the waist, and flares out to brush the floor. But she couldn't decide between the colors sea green, blue moon, and maroon.

'_Okay, maroon clashes with the blue in Aria's eyes, and sea green does not do good for Gabriella's complexion. The blue moon color is a shade or two lighter than Aria's and would look wonderful on her, as would it match with Gabby's complexion. And with the black hair and smoke gray eyes, the blue moon dress would be ideal for Kayla. Okay, so blue moon it is.' _Lily decided. Looking up towards the sales assistant, Lily informed the lady of her choice. The lady then went and shooed the three bridesmaids into the fitting rooms to begin their fittings. Lily then turned towards Ashley – her cousins' daughter, who was to be her flower girl. "Now, how about we start finding a dress for you beautiful," Lily commented as she looked at the strawberry blonde little girl with the beautiful sky blue eyes and creamy white complexion. The little girl smiled brightly and nodded her head enthusiastically. Lily found herself smiling in kind as she stood up and held out a hand for the 8-year-old beauty to take. 

Ashley scrambled up from the depths of the overstuffed rose armchair that she had been sitting in and took a hold of Lily's hand.

Lily smiled down at her, and started wondering what her and James' children would look like. Would the boys have his hair – heaven forbid – with her eyes? Would the girls have her auburn hair, with James' enchanting eyes? 

Lily was forced out of her thoughts by a tugging on her hand. She looked down at Ashley. Ashley smiled, showing her straight teeth, all of which were still there and pointed. "Look at that dress, cousin Lily, isn't it pretty?" she asked in an innocent voice that only 8 year-old could manage. Lily looked at the dress and gaped. It was a flower girls dress, and it was beautiful. It was white with sheer sleeves that are cut from the elbow down, it tucks in at the waist and then genteelly falls down to the floor. Lily imagined Ashley in it, and she automatically grinned. She'd look beautiful in it! Lily turned to look for an assistant and instructed her to fit Ashley for the dress. 

Lily grinned. Everything was going perfectly. All the dresses were found, the fittings were under way, and she was closer than ever to becoming Mrs. James Potter. 

~*~*~*~


	9. Parties

Forever Yours Chapter 9 – Parties 

Lily was standing out on the terrace of her and James' room one night when she realized that in three days she would become Mrs. James Potter. She smiled at the thought. It was everything that she wanted. To know that she was James' for the rest of their lives. 

"What are you smiling about?" James asked her as he slid his arms around her waist from behind.

Lily rested her hands over his and continued to gaze at the roaring waves. "That in three days I become your wife," she told him truthfully. James chuckled, his breath fanning over her ear. "But you already are my wife in every way but one," he smiled. This time Lily laughed. "And to me that is one important way. I want to be yours by name Jamsie, and in three days I will be."

James nuzzled Lily's neck, inwardly smiling. For Lily to say that she wanted to belong to someone was . . . shocking to say the least. "I love you, Lillian," James whispered into her soft and warm neck. 

"I love you too, James."

James slid one of his hands under her – well actually his – sweater and ran his fingertips over the soft muscles of her stomach. "Can I have my sweater back now?" he questioned as his other hand left her waist to tug on the overlarge sweater. "Mmm . . .  but then what would I wear?" she asked coyly. James grinned. "Hmm . . . how about nothing. I must say that I prefer you to wear that," he murmured, his voice sounding musical. 

Lily gasped as the cold air touched her warm skin when James lifted the sweater over her head and threw it somewhere over his shoulder. Lily turned around and became half giddy when her bare breasts touched his bare chest. "Seems like I like you that way too," she purred as her fingers knowingly divested him of his pants. "Now, why don't we continue this in our room?" she asked as she turned and with James' arms still around her, lead the way to the bed. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

The next day, Lily and James laid in bed late at night and basked in the bliss that had settled over them since they retired that night. 

"Why can't I see you at _all_ tomorrow?" James whined for the millionth time since he heard of the twenty-four hour tradition. 

Lily grinned sleepily. He sounded so cute when he whined. "Because it's considered bad luck for the marriage if the bride and groom see  each other twenty-four hours before the ceremony," she explained patiently. 

"But we already know that we'll love each other for the rest of our lives. And I want to make love to you tomorrow night," he whined again as he caressed her side. With her curled on her side, and her head resting on his shoulder, James could think of nothing else besides lifting her astride him and – 

"You can make love to me, ravish me, anything you want to do to me – after the wedding reception," she soothed. "But that is in almost two days!" he groaned. "Wait," he grinned. "Does that include taking you in the shower?" Lily laughed lightly. "If you wish," she told him. 

"Oh, I wish," he said with feeling. 

"Good, now, go to sleep," Lily demanded as she curled into James' heat. Amazingly enough, James did as he was told. For once. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The next day found James in a mad mood. He wanted his soon-to-be wife. Badly. She had escaped the house before he had even waken this morning, leaving him a note in her absence saying that she promised to fulfill every fantasy and more as soon as they got to where they were spending their honeymoon. That was the one thing that James made sure that she had no hand in planning. The honeymoon was all his idea. And he knew that she would love the beauty of the Grecian Islands. 

"James snap out of it!" Sirius yelled at his friend. 

James jumped out of the kitchen chair and glared at Sirius as soon as he realized who it was. he hadn't even known that Sirius was here. 

"Since you're back to the living now, may we _please_ start your bachelor party?" Sirius asked impatiently. James raised his eyebrows. Sirius seemed a little . . . excited about what was to happen. "What are we doing?" James asked as he followed Sirius to the front door. Sirius grinned mysteriously. "You'll see as soon as _you hurry your ass up!_" he yelled. James chuckled and grabbed his jacket before heading out the door. "Finally," Sirius muttered as he grabbed onto James' arm and apparated to a club that Sirius had booked for him, James, Remus, Kyle, and some of their buddies from school. 

"You brought me to a _strip club?!"_

"Yep," Sirius nodded. "Lily is going to kill you if she finds out about this Sirius Black. And don't you dare think that I'm going to stop her from doing it." James informed Sirius. 

"What Lily doesn't know won't hurt her now will it?" Sirius commented before pushing James into the building. "The thing that I'm scared about is that she _will_ find out," James muttered under his breath.

Truth be told, the only girl he felt like watching strip was one particular Lily Evans. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Lily's last day as an unmarried woman was spent going back in time with her friends. She was in Ireland – where she still didn't know, in her hotel with her best friends have a slumber party of sorts. 

"I remember the time that Bryan Fletcher came up to you Kayla, asking you out. I swear that that had to have been the most amusing thing that I have _ever_ seen in my whole life!" Aria giggled.

Kayla scowled. She remembered that too. She had been balancing herself on a trimming of wood by the lake when he had popped out from nowhere and asked her out. She had lost her balance and was failing her arms madly trying to gain purchase when Bryan grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. She had looked up to say thank you and he had kissed her. Kayla then proceeded to levitate him to the middle of the lake and dropped him from five feet above the water surface, creating a huge splash. "It wasn't my fault he kissed me," Kayla muttered darkly. It took weeks living the taunts down. People asking if she did that to all guys who found interest in her and worked enough courage to kiss her. 

"Sure it wasn't," Lily laughed good-naturedly.

Kayla scowled at Lily then smiled devilishly. '_I have been spending too much time around Sirius,'_ Kayla thought as she looked at Lily. "You've had worse if I remember right. 5th year, right before the end of the school year, Amos Diggory asked you to teach him _Quidditch Techniques_ and you had agreed. It ended up that you two had different ideas of what Quidditch Techniques were, because he made a move on you and you screamed your heart out at him, not even noticing as you were stalking towards him that he was close to the edge of the field and pushed him over, making him sprain his wrist." Kayla smirked as Lily's cheeks tinted red. 

"I didn't know that the edge was close! I  was too mad to pay attention!" Lily defended herself. 

Kayla just laughed at her along with Aria's giggles. 

Lily looked at Aria. "You know," Lily said thoughtfully. "We have nothing on Aria here. Nothing at all," Lily grinned.

Kayla looked at Aria too and slowly began to grin. 

Aria gulped. She knew what was coming. Just as she started to get up so that she could make her get away, Lily and Kayla pounced. 

"Stop! Stop! Oh, please stop! It tickles!" Aria cried in desperation. She hated being so ticklish.  

"Tell us and we will," Lily said in a sing-song voice. 

Aria shook her head furiously. "Never!"

"Then we will just have to keep on tickling," Kayla grinned.

"No! _Please, anything **anything** but tickling!_" Aria cried out.

"Tell us," Lily probed. 

"Okay, okay, just _stop_ tickling me!" she screamed in surrender. 

Lily and Kayla immediately stopped. Only to be hit savagely with two full feather pillows in the head. The two girls looked at each other in astonishment, and then at Aria and grinned. Grabbing pillows themselves, they began the last of many pillow fights as unmarried girls. 

Gasping, panting, and giggling, the three girls sprawled on the bed in exhaustion. It was 11:52 p.m. and in eight minutes, it would be Lily's wedding day. 

'_In 11 hours, I'm going to be getting married!' _Lily thought in excitement before falling asleep. 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

**_Authors Note:_**_ I want to say thank you to Shewhodares for the warning she gave me. Don't worry, I'm not going to stop this story just because someone tells me that I'm should be ashamed to be writing in this particular rating. But thank you for the warning. I appreciate it. _

_And I would also like to thank LunaCat007 for her idea for the last chapter. I forgot to mention that in my last chapter. She was the one who came up with the brilliant idea for a fight._

_I would also like to thank every one of you who have reviewed so far. I appreciate it. _

_I should have the next chapter out sometime with in the week. Sorry for the delay on it, but I want to think about all the details I need to put in it so that you all won't get confused._

_Mistress del Mare _


	10. The Wedding

Chapter 10- The Wedding

Lily awakened the next morning in a happy mood. She had never been in her life. Today was her wedding day!

"Wake up! Wake up! I'm getting married!" Lily screamed to no one in particular as she waltzed into the bathroom and turned the shower on hot.

"Do you have to have so _loud_?" Kayla groaned as she covered her head with a pillow. 

"Leave her be Kay," Aria muttered groggily. 

"Oh! Would someone go wake up my Mother?" Lily called out from the shower stall. 

Kayla and Aria looked at each other. 

"You do it," Kayla demanded.

Aria shook her head in denial. "What makes you think that _I_ want to get up? You get her," Aria retorted before burying her face into the fluffy comfort of her pillow.

"No way. It's _cold_ out there!" Kayla tossed back.

"But Kayla . . ." Aria whined pathetically. 

"But Aria . . ." Kayla whined back.

"What?"

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"'Cuz I don't want to get up."

"So. It's only a few doors down the hall."

"Kayla. You go."

"No. I don't wanna," Kayla pouted.

"Well I'm not getting up."

"Fine! Leave me to die of sleep de . . . what's the word?" Kayla wondered, still half asleep and groggy. "Never mind," she muttered before heaving herself from the depths of the bed and went to wake up Alexandra.

~*~*~*~*~

"Sirius?" James questioned as he was eating his breakfast. They had traveled from England to Ireland early this morning, and James was now eating in his room at the hotel. 

"Yea?" Sirius answered before continuing stuffing his face with food.

"I'm nervous," he admitted.

Sirius looked James and swallowed. "Why?"

"Because in a few hours he's going to marry the woman of this dreams you moron," Remus informed Sirius.

"Oh. Uhh . . . What am I supposed to say Remmie?" Sirius asked.

"That I'm not going to regret this, and that in less than three and a half hours the girl that you madly fell in love with is going to marry me!" James exclaimed frantically as he got up to pace, trying to get rid of some of the extra energy that was stored up inside of him. 

Sirius recited what James had just said to the best of his capabilities, but Sirius being Sirius, only remembered four words out of the whole speech. James eyed Sirius like he was a lunatic then turned a frantic, yet nervous gaze towards Remus. 

"James, in three and a half hours, Lily is going to walk down an aisle full of people you know and care about and in front of God bow to be yours forever more, everything will be fine. Lily isn't going to bail on you. She loves you," Remus soothed. 

James exhaled slowly, sat back down in his chair, and relaxed. "Thanks," he muttered gratefully. 

Remus nodded his acknowledgement and continued to clear his plate of all food.

"I'm going to take my shower now," James announced to his friends as he got up and headed for the bathroom.

"You're clueless Sirius," Remus scolded.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No." 

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes . . . Hey! You tricked me!" Sirius exclaimed indignantly as soon as he realized what he had just said.

Remus chuckled. "I told you so. Even you agreed with me that you are clueless. After all, aren't you always saying that you're always right?"

Sirius scowled and muttered darkly, "Not as clueless as you," barely loud enough for Remus to hear him, but Remus neverless did.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked skeptically.

"You and Aria. You two have been together longer than both myself and Kayla _and_ James and Lily. Yet she still has no ring on her finger. You two were _made_ for each other, yet you refuse to ask her to be _your wife!_" Sirius elaborated, being serious for once.

Remus looked at Sirius stunned. '_Did Sirius actually just give someone advice?'_ he thought, stunned.  "There's a difficulty involved in it," Remus murmured, more to himself than to Sirius.

"So what? She knows and yet she still dates you, still has sex with you. Still loves you!" Sirius told him.

"I know, but I'm not sure that she would _want_ to _marry_ me," Remus sighed.

"Good God man, what _are_ you_ blind?!"_ Sirius nearly yelled. "Do you think that James and I didn't have those same thoughts? I mean James _was_ rejected once, but he still ended up with the girl. You never know until you see Remus! But in my way of thinking, I _know_ that Aria will want to marry you. She _loves_ you Remus."

"You really think so?" Remus asked hopefully. Sirius nodded his head, causing Remus to get this dreamy look in his blue-gray eyes. Remus ruffled his sandy blonde hair and cupped his chin with the same hand. 

~*~*~*~*~

"Lily will you sit still long enough to let this nice young lady to do her job? _Please?_" and exasperated Alexandra Evans moaned as she watched her only child (A/N: 'member that Petunia isn't really an Evans'. Everything was explained in 'Entranced'.) fidget as the poor hairdresser tried to curl Lily's mass of Auburn hair.  

"Sorry," Lily smiled sheepishly and _tried_ to sit still. Which happened to be for only three minutes. 

"Lily!" was shouted from five irritated mouths – her mothers and James', along with Kayla, Aria, and Gabriella's. 

Lily smiled sheepishly once again, and managed to sit still for another ten minutes while the hairdresser finished curling the thick mass of hair into soft ringlets that would fall around her face beautifully.

"Was I really _that_ bad?" Lily asked after the hairdresser sighed with relief and exited the room.

"Yes," Kayla smirked.

"Now we need to somehow wriggle you into that wonderful dress of yours," Tiffany Potter smiled.

"Oh, God help me," Kayla pleaded.

"I think that Kayla can managed perfectly," Lily replied sweetly. Too sweetly for Kayla's mind. "If you would Pouncy?" Lily smiled charmingly with the same tone.

Kayla groaned and levered herself out of the chair that she had flopped in earlier. "Like I have a choice," she commented good-naturedly as she ushered Lily into the bedroom where the dress had been set out to rid itself of all the wrinkles that it might have gotten. 

"Nope!" Lily chirped in a happy mood.

Kayla rolled her eyes heavenward and fleetingly wondered if she was going to act this way on _her_ wedding day. '_God I hope not,'_ Kayla inwardly groaned.

~*~*~*~*~

"Stop fidgeting James!" Sirius hissed as he walked up the outside steps of the old cathedral that Lily picked along with James, Kyle and Remus having already arrived ahead of them.

"How can I fidget while I'm walking?" James snapped, and immediately apologized. He'd be the first one to admit that he was scared as hell that Lily wouldn't be there. He was terrified!

"That's okay man. Just think, in a few months you get to do this all with me!" Sirius grinned.

"God help me. You'll be worse off than I am!" James cried as they  headed towards the chamber in which James was supposed to wait in. It was true, with Sirius, when he's nervous, he babbled . . . and babbled and babbled, and he also just _has_ to touch _everything._

"Pay back Jamise dearest," Sirius smiled evilly, showing off his straight, pearly white teeth.

"The ties are here, right?" James suddenly asked, just to make sure that they did_ actually_ have ties to go with the midnight black suits, moon blue waistcoats and white oxford shirts. "Yes, they're here," Sirius reassured. 

Spotting the thin strips of moon blue silk as soon as James entered the chamber he sighed with relief. They were here. James walked over to the table that they laid on and picked one up. He then walked over to a waist high mirror and put it on. 

"Hey, James, the Minister told me that you need to be out in three minutes," Remus announced as he walked into the plain looking room, followed by Kyle.

James mutely nodded his head and finished his tie. "Put yours on," he instructed with a nod towards the stack of ties and headed towards the door. "I'll see you all out there," was all that he said before he walked out of the door with a deep breath.

James walked through the corridors until he came to the part of the cathedral that they were using and almost gasped. The long aisle was decorated with a long velvet looking carpet, a light baby blue color running down the middle of the carpet, and a bright white color adorning the sides. Bouquets of white roses rimmed with blue on the tips and white lily's were situated on each pew end, and there was an arch way in the front of the room that was filled with flowers – white and what had to have been charmed silver flowers. To the right side of the arch way three candles stood on a candelabras two were white, thin and lit, while the middle one was red, thick and unlit. James then looked up as the corner of his eye caught movement, and almost gasped again. Hundreds of water fairies danced along the ceiling, creating a shimmering water look. 

All in all, the room looked magnificent. 

"Ah, Mr. Potter, it's a pleasure to see you once again," the old Minister smiled as he drew up besides James. "Yes, it does seem as if your future wife wanted a romantic setting doesn't it?" he asked with a chuckle. 

James smiled at the old man and informed him, "She always wanted a wedding that someone would just come in and _know_ had magic in it somewhere. This is her dream." 

The Minister smiled and drew James up towards the alter with him. Within minutes after James took his spot, the organ pipes began to sing, announcing the beginning of the ceremony. 

First Sirius and Kayla came out and walked down the aisle, and separated at the steps, Sirius standing on the right next to James, and Kayla standing on the left, lightly holding a bouquet of bold red, moon blue and white flowers. Remus and Aria, and then Kyle and Gabriella followed them. 

Next, little Ashley walked down the aisle, scattering bold red, white and moon blue flower petals in her wake. She smiled up at James as she stood silently behind Gabriella, and then, everyone stood up, and the wedding march began. 

Slowly, Lily walked from behind the door alone, not wanting anyone there to give her away, and James' breath caught in his lungs. She looked radiant in her ivory dress, it clung to her upper body like second skin, and her hands were gracefully loose around the stems of her white lilies and roses, the veil was barely visible is was so thin, and it was attached to a shimmering crown that looked to be studded with sapphires and diamonds, and her face. Her face was alight with a happy glow, and everyone was transfixed. She looked like an angel with her auburn hair falling in gentle ringlets around her face, her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears, and there seemed to be this glow around her that made her look . . . utterly stunning. 

Lily smiled softly as she finally reached James, and he lightly shook his head as he grabbed her hand to lace it through his arm, and he walked up the rest of the steps with her. 

"Dearly beloved, we gather here today . . ." 

Lily soon took the offered ring from Kayla's hand, and began reciting her speech that she had wrote. She and James had decided on doing their own vows for their wedding. 

"James, I've loved you before I even knew what love was, and after all that we've been through in our relationship, we managed to survive it all, and end up here, pledging our lives to each other, for eternity, and I find that there is nothing else that I could wish for. You're everything and more to me James. You're my other half, you're the second part of my soul, you're my _life,_" her voice rang out, loud, clear, and precise as she gazed lovingly into James' blue- blue eyes and slowly slid her ring onto his finger. "I love you now and for always, and I'll be here for you, through it all," she ended.

James smiled, took the ring that Sirius was holding and lifted a hand to run it delicately down her cheek, causing all of the women in the building to sigh at the romance of it all. "Lily, I could never in my wildest dreams describe what you mean to me. I know, that without you, my life would have no meaning, that I wouldn't know what love is, that I would have no reason to live. You are the reason that I was born. You and I, we were made for each other. You're the other half of me. I wish that I could put into words the intensity of what I feel for you, but I find that there isn't enough paper in the world to do so. You are the only woman whom I have _ever_ thought about wanting to spend the rest of my life with, and I do. Every second of it with you if it's possible. I want to learn your secrets, joke with you, love you, be in love with you, be your protector, to be _yours_, for the rest of my existence. I love you," he spoke out in a clear voice, smiling into Lily's bright green eyes, as he very slowly slipped the gold ban onto her finger to join her engagement ring.

Lily and James were half aware of the sniffing and sniveling of the ladies present, but was more occupied with trying not to fall into each other's embraces instead. They weren't even paying attention to the priest. That is at least until he announced, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your beautiful bride," he told James in his clear Irish voice. 

James grinned and lifted his hands to lift Lily's veil and push it back behind her head. "I love you," he whispered as he lowered his head to kiss his wife for the very first time. The kiss was sweet, yet short. And yet, it still held all of their passion and want inside of the one small brush of lips.

As a couple, they turned and faced the crowd as Mr. and Mrs. James William Potter  for the first time ever. The newly weds dashed towards the carriage that would transport them to the reception room, and the whole way their, silently gazed into each other's eyes in amazement and love. 

They were finally married, and now nothing could stand in their way.

~*~*~*~*~

**_Authors Note:_**

****

I cried so badly while I was writing this chapter. I tried to make it as romantic as I could, so I hope that you guys liked my efforts! LoL . . . and I'm sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter out. I had so many different ideas for how this wedding should be that I could probably plan twenty of them without thinking. Providing that you're a magical person that is. LoL.

_Well, **please **review. I really want to know what you guys thought of this chapter. _

_And by the way, I want to thank all of you how have so far reviewed. Thank you all for getting me to 100 reviews already! And also, I would like to thank all of those who have reviewed with their touching words about my story. I **reall**y appreciate it you guys. I really do. I love you all! LoL. _

_I live to make all of you happy. Especially if that means that you'll **review!** LoL. _

**_Happy Readings,_**

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**_Mistress del Mare_**


	11. He's Back

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Chapter 11 – He's Back 

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James walked towards the clearing where they were holding the reception with his arm secure around Lily's waist, and her head resting on his shoulder. Her eyes glowed with happiness, and you'd have to look very closely to notice her slightly kiss bruised lips.

"I love you James," she smiled.

James chuckled. "I love you too, Lils. Now, how about we get this damn thing over with so that I can have you all to myself?" 

This time Lily chuckled. "Aww . . . is poor Jamesie feeling deprived since he had to sleep alone last night?" she taunted. 

James shot her a dark look that had Lily fighting back her laughter. He looked so put out. _He's so cute when he's ruffled,_ Lily thought.

The couple walked into the clearing, and everybody cheered.

"It's only for an hour and a half James, please _try_ to be civil to people," Lily asked as their mothers led them to their seats.

"I have an announcement!" Sirius bellowed the two sat down in their seats facing everybody else.

"Oh, no," James moaned. This was going to be a long hour and a half.

"It's time for my speech!" Sirius announced with a gleeful look on his angelic face. "I've known Lily and James for longer than I care to admit. But unfortunately, I began to love them, and found that I couldn't get rid of them. And it wasn't until a couple of years ago that I realized how good of a couple they would make. I believe that that was the day I found James mopping about in our dark dorm room and he t old me that he was head over heels in love with our Lily Billy here. So, I decided to rush things along and begun locking them in closets, rooms, ("That was _you_?" Lily shouted with a glare, causing people to laugh and smile.) they _finally_ hooked up, and immediately proceeded to turn disgustingly lovey-dovey on us all.

"They've gone through the trials of very other relationship out there. They've broken up - twice, they've fought, and yet somehow they are still together. So I must now act as my name sake and be serious. I could never imagine neither James nor Lily with anyone else. They're prefect for each other. And I honestly do not know of anyone else who'd actually marry my buddy James here, so let us all hope that they stay together, and in love," Sirius finished, grinning cheekily at James' glare. "To James and Lily Potter!" Sirius' voice rang out for the final words.

All four-hundred-and-thirty of their guests raised their champagne glasses up and with a cheer of "To James and Lily Potter" took a sip of the over expensive drink. 

"Is it possible to kill Sirius and hide the body without anyone here noticing?" James asked his new wife. Lily gave a light laugh and shook her head. 

~*~*~*~*~

After the food was done, Lily, James, and the rest of the wedding party along with their parents were whisked off for the pictures. 

Then it was time to cut the cake. 

James stepped behind Lily, who stood in front of the twelve layered, white and blue wedding cake, and wrapped his hands around the ones already laying on the hilt of the knife. James moved a couple of his fingers so that her rings weren't digging into his hand and bent his head and placed a quick kiss on Lily's shoulder, causing the crowd to erupt with "awws" and a couple of "go get a room" – which James would have happily and merrily done if he could. Together, they cut through the cake, and then took two small slices. James grinned. _She can't get mad at me for doing this is it's tradition, now can she?_ He rationalized with a smile. He lifted his part of the cake up to Lily's mouth, and waited until she took a little bite before smearing the rest all over the lower half of her face. 

Lily gaped at James and quickly nodded her thanks to Kayla, who had quickly and efficiently spelled the mess away. She then picked up her piece of the cake and drew a line with it from the center of his forehead, around his temple, down his cheek, over his chin, and mirrored the path on the other side of his face. She smiled at her 'creation' and stepped back.

James laughed. Who knew that as soon as Lily walked down the aisle that his nerves would die away? And she hadn't changed her ways now that she knew that he was hers forever more either. _Maybe this marriage thing isn't going to be so hard after all._ James thought as he pulled Lily in for a hug. "Love you beautiful," he whispered as he felt someone spell his face clean. 

"Love you too. But you're lucky that I don't have to go around on my wedding day with a messy face. Else you'd be very sorry later on tonight," she laughed, causing James' eyes to widen playfully. 

"Really now? Well then, I am lucky."

The music had started, and James took Lily's hand and led her to center stage – well at least the center of the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed – Kayla's doing, the air stirred into a soft breeze – Aria's doing, and fairies started to float around the dance floor, some twining around Lily and James, the rest flying around, sprinkling their glitter magic.

**_Like a dream,_**

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**_Childhood fantasy,_**

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**_You came to me,_**

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**_Swept me off my feet,_**

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**_Like paradise,_**

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**_Looking in your eyes,_**

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The singer sang softly as Lily and James swayed to the beat in soft, slow movements, their bodies snuggled comfortably together, bodies shifting in harmony, Lily's eyes lost in the depths of James', her eyes watering with tears as she saw the naked love for her shine in his blue depths.

**_Baby I'm here to stay,_**

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**_You make me feel special,_**

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**_You're all I need and more,_**

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**_Fairytales do come true,_**

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"You're everything to me and more James," Lily whispered softly, causing his eyes to soften even more.

"And you're everything and more to me Lily," James smiled down at her. And when a single tear fell from the corner of one eye, he brought a hand up from it's position at her waist to wipe it away.

**_'Cuz they did when I met you._**

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**_The only time I fell in love,_**

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**_I fell for you._**

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**_Now I'm in love,_**

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So deep in love with you 

"I love you James."

"I love you too Lils. And I'll never leave you," he promised.

 I get lost in time 

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**_When we're hand in hand,_**

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**_Our dreams intertwine _**

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**_On and on,_**

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**_Like drifting off to sea_**

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**_Never ending,_**

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**_You're all that I need._**

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The singer finished with a soft flourish, and Lily and James didn't even stop their revolving of the dance floor – they didn't even notice that the song was over. 

You've been the first in my life 

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**_Who has ever made me feel this way_**

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**_And I will not deny,_**

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**_I'm going to need you right here by my side._**

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**_Come on, hold my hand, let me lead they way, (let me take your breath away)_**

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**_By holding and kissing and loving and touching you_**

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The sweet chords drifted along the air, and the on lookers breath caught in their throats as James and Lily levitated, fairies flying around their bodies, the wind softly blowing. They looked like they had just stepped out of a fairytale. All of the females breath caught in their lungs, only to come out in a soft "aww" as James bent his head and softly rested his lips against hers.

**_To see myself through your eyes,_**

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**_Until the day I hear you say,_**

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**_You are mine._**

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Lily pulled back and gazed into the blue pools that were James' eyes, and let her own emerald green ones show her love to James. "I'll be yours forever more, James, I swear it."

**_There's no one for me,_**

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**_Keep in mind,_**

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**_You make my life complete,_**

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**_And tonight,_**

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"You're my heart, my soul, my life, my everything Lily Potter," James whispered, using Lily's new last name for the first time ever out loud.

We'll make love endlessly 

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**_'Cuz you're mine._**

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**_You're the one I'll keep,_**

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**_For all time. _**

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"James?" Lily asked in a soft voice as she dragged her fingers through the thick stands of black, slightly tamed hair. "How about we leave in earlier than planned?" James grinned handsomely. "Whatever the bride wants, the bride gets."

**_Now you're here boy,_**

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**_I'm never gonna let you go,_**

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**_Can I touch you there, oh,_**

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**_Do you mind if we kiss real slow,_**

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**_You're my everything,_**

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**_You're my hopes and dreams,_**

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**_Babe you know it ain't no lie,_**

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**_I'm going to be with you 'til he day I die._**

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Lily tugged James' head down and kissed him on the lips, once twice, then rested her head on his wide, strong shoulder, and let her fingers play with this silken strands of hair while she breathed his scent in deep into her lungs.

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**_You're the one that lights my fire,_**

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**_You're the one that keeps me strong,_**

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**_You're the one that I depend on,_**

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**_When my world is going wrong._**

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**_You're the one that I hold close,_**

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**_You're the man I'm dreaming of,_**

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**_And I really really love you,_**

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**_I just want you to know that._**

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James and Lily slowly danced to a stop. "James! We're floating!" Lily gasped in delight as she clutched James' shoulder. Lily concentrated on the ground, and soon found both hers and her husbands feet on the ground. 

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James stepped back and tucked Lily's hand through his arm, and with her in tow, walked into the mass of people gather on the sidelines of the dance floor.

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"James! Lily!" they heard being exclaimed and both turned towards the familiar sounding voice.

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"I'm sorry that I couldn't make the ceremony you guys," a chubby sandy-blond man said as he stepped in front of the couple with a hardened face.

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"P-Peter?" James stuttered. The group hadn't talked to Peter since before graduation! _How'd he get an invitation?_ James fleetingly wondered.

"James." Peter nodded, as if he _knew_ that neither Lily nor James had cared if he had showed up today.

****"If you'll excuse us Peter, we must mingle and thank our guests for coming. We do hope that you have a nice time!" Lily called out as she steered James to a old group of friends.

"Oh, you've been more than helpful Mrs. Potter. I shall be rewarded marvelously for the information that I have gathered," the rat looking guy whispered quietly to himself before leaving the premises. 

Soon, Lily's white lace garter belt was being taken off by James, who was using the excuse that the piece of lace was high on her thigh to lightly brush over Lily's heat, causing her green orbs to sharpen and flare with desire. 

James stood up and threw it over his head, and turned around to see who caught it. As it so happened, it landed in Sirius' hands. 

After that, Lily and James were led away so that they could change before heading for their honeymoon destination. 

Lily changed into a white skirt that ended just before her kneecaps, and a tan colored halter top, white James changed into black jeans and a light blue long sleeved shirt. 

Hand in hand, the newly wedded couple headed back to their family and friends.

Lily stood on a platform, and since she didn't want to throw her own bouquet of flowers, she had ordered two of the same kind, took the duplicate, turned around, and threw the flowers over her head. When she turned to see who had gotten it, she was looking into the shocked face of Aria. The blond flushed red and looked at Lily with a glare. Lily just smiled and shrugged as if to say, 'It's your time.'

James and Lily said their final goodbyes to their family's and then headed towards the carriage that would take them to their destination. Which Lily still had no clue of where it was. 

"I love you Lily Potter," James grinned as he reached over, picked Lily up and deposited her in his lap, with one hand tangled in her curls and the other resting lightly on her leg, making small circles with his fingers on the skin.

"I love you too, James Potter," Lily said as she laid her head on his shoulder and tried to hide a yawn.

"Why don't you go to sleep, and I'll wake you up when we get there?" James suggested as he saw her trying to hide her yawn.

Lily nodded her head thankfully, and quickly snuggled into James' warmth and fell asleep, leaving James awake to play with her hair. 

**_~*~*~*~*~_**

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**_Authors Note: _**

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So, how'd you guys like the chapter? I'll admit that I probably got the order of what was to be done wrong, but I haven't been to a wedding in a couple of years and I forgot! Sorry!

_Oh, and I would like to suggest a story to you guys. It's a Draco and original character one, so if you're into those kind of stories it's good. The first couple of chapters are rushed, but I've been told that that is being worked on . . . hint hint Kelly. It's about this girl named Abby who goes to Hogwarts, and has this dark past. She makes friends with the trio and fall's in love with Draco. And throughout the story, things happen to Abby that she doesn't notice until one day, everything about her becomes clear in her minds eye. The name of this story is For Love, Lust, and Lost. My summary might not be all that good, so sorry, but it really is a good story. . . I should know, I'm betaing it._

_Oh! and one more thing, I'm co-writing another story with LunaCat007, under the pen name Dreamer Di Musica, it's called A Destiny Of Love, and it's another OC, but this time the main character is Harry Potter. If you guys would, would you read it? Please? LoL . . . you don't have to, but I'd be grateful. Thanks._

_Well, I hope that you liked this chapter! Oh! and those songs were 'So In Love,' and 'For All Time' I don't know who they're sung by though.  I'll have the next one out sometime soon, and for whoever was urging me to update Spellbound, I did. Hope you enjoy!!_

_Mistress del Mare._


	12. The Honeymoon

Forever Yours 

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**_Written by: Mistress del Mare_**

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**_Chapter 12 – The Honeymoon_**

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James shook Lily awake as they reached the Hawaiian Islands. "Lil, baby wake up," he whispered into her ear.

"Mmm . . . she groaned before snuggling into James' body even further. 

James gave a light, almost forced, laugh. He'd been hard since he'd seen her walk down that blue and white aisle, and her warm, lush body snuggled up to his hadn't done him any good. If anything, it had just made him harder. "Lil? We're here, come on sweetheart, wake up." he practically begged of her.

Lily's green eyes fluttered open as she yawned. "I'm up, I'm up," she said as she stretched.

James hopped out of the carriage and held up his hand to help Lily out of it. 

"Where are we?" Lily asked as she spied the crystal blue water, and the green foliage of trees. "Hawaii." James answered as he led her into the wizarding hotel that they were staying in.

"Hawaii?" Lily asked with a frown. "Sirius told Kayla that you booked our honeymoon for the Bahamas." 

"I didn't. But I told Sirius that I did because I figured that if I told him where we were really going that it'd get back to you somehow." He explained and shot her a look that said – 'What-do-you-think-I-am-stupid?'

"Oh," was all that she could think to come up with. Lily looked out one of the many windows of the reception room as James talked to the pretty blonde behind the counter. The room itself, with its bright blue and whites was too festive for Lily's taste. But the ocean lay behind the windows, framed by the black edges on the glass. The waves were rising and falling in a never-ending rhythm, never yielding. The picture was captivating with the surf washing higher onto the shore with each white-capped wave, leaving behind a darkened patch of sand as it washed back into the sea.

"Lil?" James called as he and the bellman turned to walk to the room.

Lily shook her head and took James' offered hand, feeling a joyous feeling when she felt the weight of her white gold wedding band on her left ring finger along with her engagement ring. She couldn't believe that she was finally married to him. 

The bellman left James and Lily at their door, having already placed their luggage in the room. James swung the door wide, slammed it shut as soon as Lily stepped clear of it, and then swung her body into his.

Lily got the impression of soft colors and gleaming wood before she was being twirled around into the waiting arms of her husband. Into his kiss.

"Lily," he moaned as she opened her mouth to his searching tongue.

Lily slipped her arms around his neck, kicked off her shoes, and started walking backwards for the shower. Somehow, she just knew where it was. She drew back from their kiss long enough to pull his shirt over his head and throw it – no fling it out of her sight, before she started kissing him again. "God I love your chest," she whispered in awe as James pulled back from the kiss.

"Yours too," James hoarsely murmured as he hurriedly ridded her of her shirt. "God, I really do love yours," he murmured as his hands ripped the delicate black lace that covered the bottoms of her sumptuous, lush breasts.

James filled his hands with the weight of her ripe, tan breasts. If he didn't know better, he'd think that she sun bathed nude, because her breasts were a light golden brown.

"James," Lily groaned as he sent his thumbs over the sensitive nipples. Lily threw her head back in abandonment, and James' mouth feasted on the creamy white flesh of her neck, nibbling on the two veins, lapping up the unique taste that was Lily ravenously. 

Lily couldn't take it anymore, it had been only minutes before when they had kissed, but her body had already reached its boiling point. She was aching – nay, burning for him. All of him. She unbuckled his belt, quickly drew his zipper on his pants down, and ridded him of his pants and boxers in record time, leaving him deliciously bare for her eyes to feast on.

James didn't give her a chance to look at his body though. He knew that if she touched him, if she looked at him, his control would snap, and everything that he had planned on doing to her would fly out the window. He quickly dealt with the zipper in the back of her skirt, and let it pool on the floor, then quickly pushed the black lace panties down her thighs onto the floor, leaving her standing her all of her glory.  "God you're body is magnificent," he whispered as he reached behind her back and turned the water on.

Lily gasped as she felt warm water cascade down her back. She hadn't even realized that they had finally made it into the bathroom.

James cupped Lily's bare butt and kneaded it genteelly before grasping the firm spheres and lifting her feet up so that she could latch her legs around his waist. She looked like a goddess with the water beating down over her head, droplets slowly making their way down her breasts, over the hard, sensitive nipples, flowing down her torso in one slow, smooth caress. Her skin was shining from the water, making him think of mermaids.

Lily anchored her hands in his hair, and kissed him, hard. Her tongue fought its way into his mouth, tickling the roof of his sweet mouth. 

James leaned Lily's back against the tile of the shower, laid his hands on her hips, and entered her with one swift stroke. Their groans of relief melded together.

Lily could feel her magic build swiftly inside of her as soon as James entered her, and groaned. She let her senses, her magic; fly free, leaving her mind blissfully blank.

James flexed his hips fractionally, encasing himself further into Lily's body, and felt her tighten around him. His magic was straining to leave his body, to meld with its mate, and he let it, only to feel the violent heat of hers. 

Lily broke in tow. Feeling James' power twine with hers, and the water strengthening the bond was too much for her body to take on and her body was sent over that blissful cliff.

James groaned as he felt Lily clench around him and giver herself over to her orgasm. It was all he could do to keep himself from coming at that precise moment. As she laid her head on his shoulder, James flexed his hips again, and thrust into her body, setting a rhythm that Lily's body immediately responded to. One deep, nine shallow. Two deep, eight shallow. Three deep, seven shallow.

Lily groaned in ecstasy as she felt James move, and matched her hips movements to his. Four deep, penetrating thrusts, six shallow. Five deep, five shallow. Lily could feel the sharp edge of another orgasm, and unconsciously tightened her walls. Six deep, four shallow. It was starting to become too much for Lily to handle. Seven deep, three shallow. Eight deep, two shallow. Nine deep, one shallow. She was almost there. Ten deep thrusts in a row, and Lily's universe shattered into bright fireworks, leaving her gasping wildly for air from the force of her orgasm.

James clenched his teeth against the sensation and continued his pace.

 Lily groaned weakly as she felt James begin his rhythm again. "James," she moaned weakly as she began moving her body along with his. 

Another set of ten deep thrusts and Lily shattered for the third time.

James couldn't hold himself back any longer, and he emptied himself inside of Lily's body, causing her to climax once again in his arms. 

How they got to the bed was a mystery, but they somehow ended up there.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The light had dimmed by the time James felt he could move. "God," he whispered into the darkening shadows and pulled out of Lily's body before rolling onto his back, and shifting Lily so that she lay on top of his body. 

"I didn't know that that was possible," she muttered sleepily. 

"Hmm . . . " was all he could think to say before he fell back asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, they woke up to the sun shinning brightly in their faces. Lily groaned, sat up, straddling James' legs, and stretched her arms.

"Mmm . . . morning baby," James sleepily smiled as he enjoyed the view. 

Lily smiled down at him and swung her legs to the edge of the bed, which she found was a mistake with a wince. She hurt. Her thighs were aching!

"What's wrong?" James questioned as he saw her wince. 

Lily glared at her husband. "I hurt." 

James' face clouded in confusion, and then quickly cleared. "Oops. Sorry?" he smiled charmingly, not looking at all sorry. Lily glared at him.

"Hey!" James exclaimed as he noticed magic floating around her body. "Why do you have magic _out_side of your body?" he asked.

"Because we shared our selves in everyway possible in our element. Whenever a mage shares themselves with their mate in their element, it binds them together somehow. Even if the other mate doesn't have magical powers, like my mother, the other partner's magic flows into each other. Meaning that you now have half of my powers, and I now have half of yours. You're mine now, James, as I'm yours." She smiled as she leaned down and gave him a kiss before carefully moving off the bed and heading for the bathroom so that she could take a shower. "Order some food from room service while I'm taking a shower please?" Lily called over her shoulder before shutting the bathroom door.

James yawned before sitting up and looking around the room. All of the wood objects appeared to be made out of cherry colored wood, and all of the fabrics were a stone gray color, and the floor were a dark cherry color also. 

James got out of bed, shrugged into a robe that was provided by the hotel, and searched the room for the room service menu. He found it on the coffee table, and called in food. Knowing Lily's appetite after sex, he ordered a _lot_ of food.

By the time Lily walked out of the bathroom, James had already changed into beige slacks, and a gray shirt, after performing a cleansing spell on himself, and room service had already been there, setting up piles of waffles, orange juice, and fruit. 

Lily inhaled the scent of food and sat down at one of the chairs adorning the table in her own white terry robe.

~*~*~*~*~

The newly weds ate breakfast, Lily dressed in a short white skirt and a white spaghetti top, and they went out to explore the area around the hotel.

~*~*~*~*~

Within the next week, Lily and James had gone shopping – much to James' horror, they'd gone swimming in the ocean, took nightly walks on the beach, and shared magical nights, mornings, afternoons and the in betweens, giving each other pleasure.

By the time the couple had to leave, they found themselves missing the cooler climate of Britain, and were happy to be going home, but also disappointed that they'd have to go back to working and spending a majority of their days apart.

~*~*~*~

Authors Note! 

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I am so sorry that it took me so long to do this chapter. I've been studying for a stupid Exit Exam that all Juniors down in California have to take. And they SUCK! Just thought that I'd let you know that. But, I finally finished with my testing, and worked for the past 3 hours on this chapter for you guys! 

But I'm so sorry for the delay. It might be a while until I can get the next chapter out, because I find myself buried in Science homework. For the next 3 weeks at least. So, I'll leave the choice up to you, I can do either short chapters, or I can do a big one when I have time. Your choice. 

Thank you all for reading. And a very big thank you to a reviewer by the name of Amelia. Thank you soo much for your review! It brought tears to my eyes!

Yours,

Mistress del Mare


	13. Home Life

Forever Yours 

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**_Chapter 13_**

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**_Home Life_**

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Lily and James apparated into the entrance hall of their house, and dropped their bags on the hardwood floor with sighs of relief. With a flick of his wand, James banished all of the suitcases to their bedroom, where Lily could go through the numerous bags and unpack them. 

"Feels weird to be back home, doesn't it?" Lily asked James as she interlocked their fingers together and tugged him towards the back of the house. "Yeah, it does," he admitted. "Even though we've only been gone for two weeks."

James tugged Lily to his side as they exited the back door and made their way over to their cliffs. "But you know what?" James asked as he sat down on the stone gray bench that Lily had placed on one particular cliff so that they could sit in that one spot and watch the waves beat un-relentlessly against the rocks. "What?" Lily asked as she snuggled into James' lap. "Being back home also means that we'll finally begin living like husband and wife," he smiled as he placed his cold fingers against the warmth of Lily's stomach as his hand stole up the emerald green scoop neck sweater that she was wearing. "That is true," she sighed as she looked over the ocean.

"James?" Lily asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes, my love?"

"How do you feel about kids?" she asked timidly. 

James rested his chin on the crown of Lily's head and frowned. "I don't know. I'd love to have some one of these days. A boy to teach quidditch, a little girl to protect from guys who want to date her. But at this moment? I don't know. But I like the idea that someday you and I will have an army of little monsters running through the grass, making us want to pull all of our hair out, leaving toys all over the house, teaching them about quidditch, candy, how to swim, and how to read. And who knows, it might start sooner than later," he mused as he absently kneaded the skin on her belly, then suddenly stopped as he got a sudden insight. 

"You-you're . . . that is to say . . . uhhh . . . you're not pregnant, are you?" James stuttered as he tipped Lily's head back to look into her eyes. 

Lily's eyes widened. "No! No, I'm not pregnant, I was just wondering how you felt about them because I wanted to take myself off of the birth control spell."

James exhaled a big puff of air then chuckled. "I think that my heart stopped for a few minutes there. I don't think that I'm ready to share you not even a month into our marriage Lils," he joked. Lily smiled at him and asked coyly, "And why is that?"

"Because I can be selfish at times, and right now, I'm not ready to share my lovely wife with anyone else in the world," he murmured as he inched his hands further up Lily's sweater. 

"James," Lily groaned as James cupped her breasts. "We only have an hour until people start coming over."

"I can be quick," he promised with a glint in his now deep blue eyes. 

"You're never quick," she gasped out as she felt the searing heat of his mouth on her pulse point. 

"But I can be," he promised, and set out to show her exactly how quick.

~*~*~*~*~

"I can't believe you James Potter, we were almost caught! If your Mother had arrived not even two minutes earlier, we _would_ have been!" Lily hissed at James as she changed out of her black jeans and green sweater into a black cocktail dress that had two thick straps that went over her shoulders, scooped down to show the outline of her breasts, stopped directly above her kneecaps, and was slit on the sides ever so slightly. 

"I'm sorry! It's not my fault that you are simply irresistible!" James hissed back teasingly. 

"Flattery isn't going to work on me this time Potter." Lily hissed again. "But they always say actions speak louder than words," she advised before spraying herself with her perfume and walking out of their bedroom door. 

"Women!" James yelled as she shut the door, causing her to chuckle. He was so cute when he got frustrated.

~*~*~

That night, they entertained their family and close friends, to tell them about their trip.

"Come on Lils, I know that you're leaving out something!" Kayla cried as she asked her best friend for the hundredth time how the sex in the shower was. "I'm not leaving out anything!" Lily shot back smiling. 

"Fine then! I'm not telling you that Sirius and I finally picked a date!" Kayla huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and slumped back in her white armchair before sitting right back up. "Shit. I just told you." 

"That's what you get for prying the wrong person. Now, if you had just asked Jamie here, you would have gotten the full answer," Sirius taunted as he sat on the arm of Kayla's chair. 

"James!" Lily cried, color seeping into her cheeks. 

"I swear that I didn't say anything at all about the shower!" he defended himself. "I told him about the bathtub."

Lily's mouth dropped open, then snapped shut. She reached behind her blindly for one of the hunter green pillows that were propped against the white cushions of the couch, and threw it at James' head, and being an ex-chaser, she didn't miss her target. 

"Hey! What was that for?" James asked as he bent to pick up the fallen pillow and threw it back at his wife. 

"That," Lily smiled as she picked the pillow out of thin air and set it behind her, "was for telling Sirius _anything_ about our honeymoon."

James just rolled his eyes, muttered something along the lines, 'Women are completely nutters', and sat down next to his wife on the couch. 

"How'd you like it there Lily?" Lily's Mother asked as she sat in one of the vacant white chairs. 

"It was beautiful. The water was so clear, and warm! It was almost like I was back in our cove in Italy! And it was so magical," she sighed as she laid her hand on James' thigh. 

Suddenly, the fire erupted into flames within the white and hunter green room, and Tiffany and Peter came out. 

All of the occupants of the room, blinked in confusion. '_Why are they here?_' they all wondered. 

"Don't we get a welcome?" Tiffany asked in a snobbish voice. 

"Uhh . . ." Lily said, trying to figure out why they were here, "welcome?"

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, being blunt as usual. 

"We just thought that we'd drop in on our old friends and get reacquainted. After all, we haven't talked to each other since the beginning of our seventh year," Peter smiled. 

"Right," Kayla muttered under her breath. It was common knowledge that Peter and Tiffany had thrown a fit when Lily, James, Aria, Remus, Sirius and she had all turned their backs on them because the two had tried to break them all up. '_And you'll never be trusted again,_' Kayla vowed as she stood up and glared at Tiffany. 

Lily frowned in concentration. Something dark was in this room. Her mage magic was running through the roof. She glanced at Aria, who glanced at Remus, who looked at Sirius, who looked at Kayla, and then, Lily glanced at James and whispered, "Do you feel that energy?" James nodded as he scanned the bright room.

Lily got up from her spot next to James, and walked over to Peter and Tiffany. "Welcome to our house," she greeted cheerfully as she extended a hand. Peter reached out and grasped it, and then yanked her into his body. "Thanks, but we'd rather be going now, wouldn't we dear?" Peter sneered as he took out his wand and froze the whole room, except for Lily, himself and Tiffany. 

"You little traders!" Lily yelled as she stumbled out of his grasp. 

Peter reached out for her again, but Lily was too fast. She whipped out her wand, muttered a few words, and with a swish of her wand, Peter and Tiffany dissolved and disappeared. Lily quickly turned to the rest of the house, and unfroze them. 

"What the hell was that about?" Remus screamed as he launched out of his chair.

"They're dark now. Didn't you feel that negative magic? They belong to _him_." Lily spat as she paced across the white carpet. 

"Do you know what this means?" Aria asked as she got up and stood near the window that stood next to the fireplace. "The prophecy's have already begun," she whispered as she looked into the night.

"Oh, God," Kayla moaned as she crumpled into her chair. "What if some of us don't make it? What if some of us die?" she cried out as she took deep breaths to calm her pounding heart. 

"We won't." Lily said with such force in her voice that everyone stared at her in amazement. "You remember how the prophecy stated that if we all stood by each other that we'd make it through the fall of the darkness? Well, as long as the six of us stay true to the rest, we don't risk dying. But if one of us breaks lose, we risk all of that and more."

The room was silent. 

"What do we do now?" Aria asked as she turned towards Lily, who had always been the leader of the group. "The rest of you go home and get some sleep and live your life like you normally do. For now, that's all that we can do. We wait until they begin. Then, then we begin thinking." Lily sighed as she sat down next to James and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I guess that you're right, my dear," Tiffany Potter said as she stood up. 

"Tell Mr. Potter to start being more careful when he's out on raids, please?" Lily asked as her second Mom kissed her cheek, and then James' in a farewell. 

"Of course I will," she smiled before apparating home. 

"Be careful, dear." Alexandra whispered into Lily's ear as she was hugged. "I always am, Mama," Lily replied as she hugged her back. Alexandra then repeated the same thing in James, Kayla, Sirius, Remus and Aria's ear before she too left. 

"Promise to be careful? And to tell if something happens?" Sirius said in a serious voice as he put his hand out, palm up, and looked at Lily to start. 

Lily smiled. This was a tradition that she, Sirius, James, and Kayla had started when they had been two, and then took it to Hogwarts with them, and begun with Aria and Remus involved. They always done it in the same way, with their hands always in the same spot. Lily stood up and walked over to Sirius. 

"Promise," she smiled as she put her hand palm down on top of Sirius'.

"Promise," Kayla said as she rested her hand over Lily's. 

"Promise," James said, and rested his hand on Kayla's.

"Promise," Aria whispered as she followed suit. 

"Promise," Remus smiled as he added the last hand on the pile.

They all looked in each other's eyes, one at a time, and said together, "Promise made, promise kept."

The group broke apart, and with hugs and good-byes, Aria and Remus left for their flat, while Sirius and Kayla stayed for a few more minutes. 

"As soon as you know Lily, get a hold of me." Kayla whispered as she hugged her best friend. She wasn't ready for this to begin. She knew that nothing would be the same. Nothing. Not after they did what they were meant to do. 

"I swear," Lily whispered.

Kayla nodded her head and stepped back.

"Ready?" Sirius asked as he stepped next to her, having already said his good-bye's to his best friend, and second best friend. Kayla nodded her head, and they were gone.

"God, James. Why now?" Lily whispered as she fell backwards onto the couch. 

"I don't know honey. I just don't know." He sighed as he picked her up and began carrying her to their bedroom. "Lets just think about this when the time comes okay? And, we now know to stay away from Tiffany and Peter, so lets do so." He told her as he laid her down on the bed and began getting ready for bed.

"You don't need to tell me _that_ twice," she smiled as she pushed herself out of the bed and changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth before getting back into bed. 

"How is it that you take longer to get ready for bed than me?" Lily frowned as she saw her husband pull his pajama pants on.

"I don't take longer. I just take my time getting dressed at nights. Knowing that you'll get me out of my clothes anyways." He smiled as he got under the blankets on his side of the bed. 

"Really now? And how do you know that?" she smiled seductively. 

"You've never failed to do so before."

"I might just fail tonight though, just because you said that," she teased. 

"Nah, you won't. You love the pleasure that I can give you too much to miss out." He said confidently. 

Lily laughed and smothered him with a pillow before extinguishing the lights in the room and settling her head on his shoulder.

"Love ya, James," she said into the dark.

"I love you too, Lily," James replied as he bent his head to kiss her, showing Lily just how hard it was to resist his wonderful pleasures.

~*~*~*~

**_Authors Note:_**

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I'm sorry that this took so long, but this was the soonest that I could sit down and begin writing this story. That, and I also had a temporary writers block. 

_I know that you all are probably saying, 'Isn't Peter supposed to be trusted?' Yes, he is, in other stories, but earlier on in my first story, I told my readers that I need to know if they'd rather have an ending that they all expected, or if they wanted a different ending. Well, they picked the different ending, so I'm doing it that way. Now, for those of you who want me to, I'll post another story, from this chapter on, making it to where Lily and James do end up dying. _

_Just let me know if you want me too… but this fic is planned out to be the other way. Flame me if you want, but I wanted to be a little creative. And no one really said that they **had** to die in the fics, and that they **had** to follow the natural story line. _

_So, if you are disappointed in me for wanting to be a little different from all the rest of the fics, I'm sorry, but I'm willing to do a story where they **do** die if it'd make you happy. _

_Just review with what you want. _

_Well, hope that some of you were happy with this chapter. _

_And if you decide that you no longer like my story, I'd like to say 'Thank you for reviewing in the past, and I'm sorry that you no longer enjoy reading my story.'_

_Byes._

_Mistress del Mare_


	14. And It Begins

Forever Yours Chapter 14 – And It Begins 

The next morning Lily and James rushed around their room frantically, trying to make it to work on time. Due to James' . . . appetite, they hadn't moved from the bed until 7:10, and they both had to be at work at 7:40. Lets just say that thirty minutes is not enough time for two people to take showers, brush their teeth, and get dressed. By the time that they apparated to work, they were both ten minutes late. 

"Mrs. Potter, you're late," Mr. Johnson called as Lily walked into his office.

"I know sir, and I'm sorry," she apologized. 

"Just see that it doesn't happen again," he dismissed. "Now, we have received a letter from Professor Dumbledore, and he told us that you are able to help us with a prophecy that has not been able to be solved for some years." He said as his eyes bored into hers. 

"Sir?" Lily asked confused as she clasped her hands together in her lap and looked back at him. 

"I want you to read this prophecy, and try to break it," he explained.

"Alright. If I could see it sir?" 

"Right," he flushed before digging in the top drawer of his desk and pulling out an old, crinkly paper that had turned yellow on the edges. "Here you go," he said as he handed it over to Lily. 

"I'll see what I can do sir," Lily told him before she rose from her chair and walked into her office to start reading the prophecy. 

.::..::..::..::..::..

James raced down the halls and stopped quickly, causing his arms to wave madly so that he could balance, in front of a door labeled, '_Meeting Room'_. He took a deep breath, tugged on the sleeves of his robes, and opened the wide door. 

At the sound of the door opening, everyone drew their attention from the speaker in the front of the room, to the back, looking to see who had arrived. 

"Ahh . . . Mr. Potter, wonderful for you to finally grace us with your presence," Moody drawled from the front chair. 

"I'm sorry, sir," James apologized as he took his seat.

"I imagine you had other things running through your head this morning, rather than this meeting," he smiled, which made many in the room shudder as they saw his missing teeth, and causing his face to wrinkle up.

"Yes, sir," James smiled as he remembered how soft and warm Lily was when he woke her up this morning. 

"Right then, now, back to what you were saying, Miller . . ." Moody commanded. 

..::..::..::..::..

**_Spirit's arise, _**

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**_On this night of uncertainty._**

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**_The world, _**

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**_Rest's on the shoulders,_**

**_Of six._**

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**_Love,_**

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**_Conquers all,_**

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**_While fear,_**

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**_Loses all._**

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**_With a full moon upon them,_**

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**_The selected six,_**

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**_Must choose their destiny._**

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**_All six must choose to fight for love,_**

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**_Or all will be lost. _**

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**_On this night, _**

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**_If fire can burn across water,_**

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**_And air flame higher, _**

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**_The darkness burns,_**

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**_In the never ending light._**

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Lily read over the passage one more time. The selected six were her, James, Kayla, Sirius, Aria, and Remus, that she knew. The Spirits arise on this night of uncertainty – all Hallows Eve. Didn't muggles always assume that the spirits of the past only arose on Halloween? 

'_The world rests on their shoulders, what does that mean?'_ Lily wondered as she re-read the words once again. 

She had been working on this prophecy for the past two hours, and she was beginning to get a headache from thinking so hard. She had a feeling that this was an easy riddle, but she was just looking too hard.

Lily flicked the paper onto her cluttered desk, leaned back in her chair, and folded her hands behind her head.

"So this is what you do all day?" Aria asked as she entered her office, wearing a white robe, and a tan dress. 

Lily laughed and sat up straight. "No, I wish. I was trying to think this out," she explained as she showed the prophecy to Aria.

"It involves us?" Aria asked as she finished reading it. 

Lily nodded her head mutely before her eyes zoomed in on the diamond on her engagement ring finger. "Is that what I think that it is?" Lily asked, her eyes still on the ring.

Aria looked down at her finger, held her hand in front of her face, and looked at the single diamond that lay on a band of gold. "Yes," she sighed. "Kayla will be here in a few minutes, I wanted to tell you two together." 

"Tell us two what together," Kayla demanded as she came inside, dirty as a pig in a mud puddle. 

"Bloody hell! What the hell did they do to you?" Lily demanded as she saw Kayla walk in, her black robes covered in mud, and her hair dripping wet. She looked like she got drowned in the sewer. 

"They put me in a stupid tank with a fairy!" Kayla growled as she plopped down in the only other vacant chair in the room. 

Lily laughed then turned to Aria, who's summer blue eyes were shinning with surpressed laughter. "You were saying?" Lily smiled.

"Oh! He asked me to marry him last night!" she gushed. 

"Finally!" Kayla laughed as she got up and walked over to Aria to hug her. 

"Oh-no! If you think that you're hugging me Kayla Cameron, you have another thing coming!" Aria screamed as she shot up out of her chair and raced behind it. 

"Why is that? Don't _you_ want to be muddy and wet? I assure you, it's the latest fashion," Kayla teased. 

"Pouncy," Lily laughed as she got up. "Leave the lady in white alone." 

"But I wanna hug someone!" Kayla fake pouted. 

"Here, you can hug me." Lily smiled. 

Kayla walked over to Lily with an evil grin and hugged her, then shimmied down her body, trying to transfer all of her dirt onto Lily. She stepped back and looked at her handy work. "Hey!" she pouted as she saw that nothing stuck to Lily's green robes. "You weren't supposed to use a spell!"

"Well, sorry if I wanted to keep clean," Lily smiled as she sat on the corner of her desk, and crossed her legs at the knees.

"Well, are you going to tell us how he proposed or not?" Lily asked of Aria as she sat back down in her chair. 

Aria sighed and her eyes got all dreamy. "It was last night, and it was a half moon out side-"

_Remus walked into his and Aria's apartment, and he started to shake. '**This is the night I do it, this is the night I ask her to marry me,'** he thought as he called out Aria's name. _

_"Yes?" she called out as she walked from the kitchen, a red apron tied around her waist to protect her navy blue skirt. _

_"Hey, baby," Remus smiled more calmly than he felt. "I have a question for you."_

_"Okay," Aria smiled as she sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her. _

_Remus ignored her and kneeled at her feet. "You know, but you have got to be the most mild-mannered, caring woman in this world," he smiled at her as he put one of his hands on her knee. _

_Aria raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything. _

_"And I can't imagine living my life without you. I mean, not a day goes by that I don't wonder, 'Is this my last day with her?' or 'Am I ever going to lose her?' and I start to freak. I need you, Aradriana. I need you more than I need to breathe. I mean, I honestly can not imagine another girl who would accept me for what I am. Who would have no problems with who I am. So, I guess that I'm asking you, no begging you, to be my wife," he said as he gazed into the blue depths that he loved so much._

_"Aradriana Williams, will you marry me?" _

_"Yes!" Aria cried as she flung her arms around his shoulders and sobbed into his shirt, not even noticing when he slipped a ring on her engagement ring finger. "I love you, Remy," she whispered. _

_"I love you too, Aria."_

"And that's it." Aria finished. 

"That was so sweet!" Lily said as she discreetly wiped away a tear that fell from her eyes.

"I'm happy that you two are finally able to be happy together," Kayla smiled as she sniffed her tears back. 

"Thank you guys!" Aria cried as she got up and hugged her two best friends, not even caring if she got dirty from Kayla's clothes any more. 

They all pulled back, and Kayla noticed that a scrap of paper and fallen to the floor. "What's this?" she asked as she bent to pick it up.

"Oh, that's my new 'Project'," Lily explained. 

"Hey! Isn't this a version of the prophecy that we found in Daddy's study?" Kayla asked as she read it.

"That's why it's so familiar!" Lily cried as she snatched the paper out of her hands. "But it's missing the rest of it. So that means that they never got the whole entire prophecy," she frowned. "But why didn't they?" 

"Maybe because whoever encountered it didn't want the Ministry of Magic to have the whole prophecy," Aria suggested. 

"But that doesn't make any sense. Why would My Father have the whole thing?" Lily wondered as she sat behind her desk again. 

"I don't know," Kayla admitted before looking down at her watch. "Hey, I need to get back to the field, but how about we talk about this later?"

Lily nodded her head absently and said good-bye to Kayla and Aria, who had said that she needed to return to work too. 

Lily's brow furrowed in thought. "Why would they only have some of it?" she asked out loud. 

.::..::..::..::.

"Were you successful in getting the girl?" a voice hissed out into the damp, cold room.

"N-no, M-master. W-we w-were not." A mans voice sniveled. 

"You know what happens to missions that aren't successful, don't you Wormtail?" the voice hissed again, as his bony hand held a long, smooth stick up. 

"Y-yes Master." The mans voice stuttered in fear. 

"Crucio!" the voice hissed.

That night, screams could be heard through the dark forest for miles. That, and an evil cackle. 

~*~*~*~*~

**_Authors Note:_**

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I hope that you all liked this chapter. I know that I must be confusing some of you with the whole prophecy thing, so I'll explain it a little better. 

_After Lily's Father died, she and Kayla went through his study and found a prophecy that had his handwriting on the sides, and it pretty much summed up that the group of friends needed to stick together to destroy the ultimate evil. But see, Voldemort hasn't made that big of an impact on the world yet. But within the next few chapters, that's going to change. _

_I hope that that clears it up a little bit. _

_I want to thank you all for supporting me with how I want this story to end. I wasn't really expecting reviews like that. _

_And Amelia . . . I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your review made my day. Thank you. And as soon as I'm done with this version, I'm going to put out the opposite version for those of you who want to read it. _

_Well, review, and I'll hurry with my next chapter._

_Byes!_

_Mistress del Mare_


	15. Thinking Hurts

Forever Yours 

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**_Chapter 15_**

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**_Thinking Hurts_**

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Lily sighed as she apparated home. She still hadn't figured out why Intelligence only had a part of the prophecy. There were many possibilities, but none of them seemed likely. 

Lily sighed again as she lay down on the couch and draped an arm over her eyes. '_My head hurts,'_ Lily realized as she started to relax. _'Too much thinking with no answers probably.'_ she reasoned with herself. 

"Long day?" a deep voice asked from the doorway.

Lily lifted her arm and glanced in the direction of James's voice. "Ugh, that's putting it lightly," she muttered as she dropped her arm back over her eyes. 

James chuckled as he walked over to the couch that Lily was sprawled on. "Care to share?" he asked as he picked up her legs, sat down, and then positioned the legs on his lap. 

"You remember that prophecy that my Father had that Kayla and I found in his study after he passed away?" she mumbled, too exhausted to talk any louder. 

"Mm-hm. What about it?" 

"Well, apparently Intelligence had the same prophecy. Only it's missing pieces. Pieces of it that would make the whole thing make sense," she explained. 

James frowned as he slipped off Lily's heels and began to rub the stiffness out of her feet. "I don't get what you mean. They only have some of the prophecy, and the pieces that it is missing are the important pieces?" he guessed, trying to work out what she said in his mind.

"No, not really. It's just missing pieces that would make the meaning clearer. And what they do have is what seemed like the summary part of the whole prophecy. The part about all of us sticking together, Halloween night, and the darkness, but that is all that it is," she explained. "Mmm. James, honey, if you keep on doing that, I'm going to end up falling asleep on you," she purred as his fingers rubbed the soreness from her feet. '_God, but his hands are magical. Even if they're not attempting to arouse – which they do very well.'_

"That's okay," he said as he worked on her toes now. "You need the sleep. And plus, I could always wake you up later," he smiled jokingly. 

Lily laughed and opened her eyes just enough to gaze at him. His hair was in disarray as always, his face had a shadow of stubble on it, his blue eyes behind his glasses looked tired, and his robe was crumpled. "What in the world happened to you today?" she asked.

"Ah," he groaned thinking back on his day. "I spent it running all around Britain with Moody looking over some of the villages that have been attacked recently." 

"Anything interesting?" 

"No. Besides the point that every village we visited had a marking above them. A snake coming out of a skull, and most of the villages were filled with muggles, or held prominent wizarding families."

"You think that it was because he was trying to get more followers?" Lily asked as she sat up, curled her feet underneath her body and looked at her husband. 

"It's a major possibility, but it also might be that he just didn't like them, or wanted revenge on the families for something." 

"I'm starting to think that he's the darkness that the prophecy is warning us about," Lily confessed as she stared at roaring fire that James must have lit. 

James looked at his wife in confusion. What would this crazy old fool want with them? "Why do you think that?" he asked as he reached over to pick her up and deposited her in his lap. 

"Because, I don't know. It's this feeling. Like whenever I hear something about him, I start seeing pictures in my mind, and I don't know. It's like a connection," she tried to explain, but failed. 

"What do you mean you see pictures?" James asked with a frown.

"Like, I don't know! My mind starts forming a picture, of something. A man in a heavy, black robe with the hood over his face, and the only thing you can see out of it is red eyes, and we're here, in one of the rooms in this house, along with Kayla, Sirius, Remus, and Aria, but they're hidden. It's just you and me. And then, he points his wand at us, and opens his mouth to say something, and then, I snap out of it." 

James frowned in concentration. "Is it possible that you're seeing into the future?" he asked.

Lily looked at James, and then laughed. "_Me?_" she gasped, stilling laughing. "_See into the future? That is so funny!_" she managed. 

James looked at his wife and shrugged. It was a possibility that he wasn't going to forget. While Lily might have sucked at Divination with the old bat at Hogwarts, sometimes, she saw things minutes before they happened. Which was why she was un-shockable at times. '_I wonder how far she can see into the future,_' he wondered as his hands stroked up and down her back absently. 

"You really think that I am seeing into the future, don't you." Lily said as she looked into his eyes. When James nodded his head, Lily sighed. "To tell you the truth, I don't know. I mean, sure sometimes I can manage to see things minutes before they happen, but who knows how long away this one is. I guess that it's not impossible, but I really don't know about it," she admitted. 

"We'll figure it out Lils, don't worry about it," he soothed, knowing that Lily _despised_ not knowing something that was worth knowing. 

Lily didn't reply, but she did snuggle further against James. "I love you," she smiled as she looked at the fire.

"I love you too, Lils." 

"How about we go up and get some sleep," Lily suggested as she wiggled her but in James's lap.

"Mm. Why don't we?" he returned as he stood up with Lily in his arms and walked up the stairs to their room.

~*~*~

Later on that night, Lily curled into James's side and stared into the dark. He wasn't asleep yet, his breathing wasn't shallow enough for him to be. She couldn't help but thinking that she was already wanting a child. His child. But the problem was, that she didn't know if _he_ was ready or not. Yet, she didn't know how to ask him.

"What are you thinking about?" James's voice sounded in the silent room. 

Lily sighed. It was now or never. "James, you remember how we were talking about children the other night?" 

James rubbed his hand over Lily's side as he said, "Yes, why do you ask?"

"How would you feel if we were to have one in the next year?" 

James stopped all movement and stared at the ceiling overhead. How _would _he feel? '_Think, something that both you and Lily made together, out of love. A symbol of your love with her. A little girl with red hair, and blue eyes, or a little boy with messy black hair and green eyes. Wouldn't you want to see Lily holding something that you helped her create to her breast while it suckled for milk?'_

"I think that I'd be overjoyed," he admitted as he looked down at his wife, trying to read her eyes in the darkness. 

"Really?" she asked with a smile. "Then you wouldn't mind if I take myself off of the birth control?" 

"No," James smiled. "Not one bit." 

Lily sighed in content. Everything was going so right, and in just a few days, Christmas would be upon them. Since they had come four days earlier than they had originally planned, they now had four days until Christmas, and Lily couldn't be happier. She couldn't wait until she could spread her cheer to other people around her. It was going to be hard not thinking about her Father, but she knew that he'd want her to enjoy the holiday. Christmas always was his favorite holiday. He was the one who taught her that Christmas wasn't about St. Nicholas, wasn't about the toys that waited under the Christmas tree for her; he taught her that Christmas was about friends and family coming together to celebrate, it was a time to be nice to everyone, to savor what you had in life. And that was exactly what Lily would teach her children. But she still couldn't help wanting him there with them. Grieving that he wouldn't be able to show his grandchildren the meaning of Christmas, to read them stories like he had done for Petunia and her, or sometimes just Lily. He had always loved kids, no matter who's they were, he loved them. 

"What's wrong?" James asked as he felt the coldness of her tears fall on his bare chest. 

"Sorry," Lily sniffled, "I was thinking about my Father. I wasn't even aware that I was crying."

"Aw, Lils," James sighed as he held her closer. He knew that she missed her Father around the holidays. Truth be told, so did he. Nicholas Evans was like a Father to him too, and he always seemed to make the holidays – Christmas especially, brighter with his cheerfulness, and his goodwill. 

"I'm sorry," Lily mumbled as she cried silent tears. "I just miss him so much suddenly. I just started thinking that he had always wanted to walk me down the aisle to my awaiting groom, but he couldn't, and how much Christmas meant to me with my Father. God, I miss him James," she cried.

"Shh . . . I know, _mia amore._" He comforted, using a language that she had always felt more connected to than any other.

"_Per favore, nonlo lasci, James. Per favore_," Lily sobbed. 

James quickly tried to translate what she said, and came up with, 'Please, don't leave me James. Please.' "Never Lily, I'll never leave you," he promised, and hoped to high hell that he would be able to keep that promise to her.

It took a while for Lily's cries to stop, and James figured that she fell asleep. "I love you too much to leave you Lily," he sighed as he held on to Lily a little tighter and fell asleep too.

_Tomorrow is going to be a long day,_ James thought seconds before his breathing evened out. 

And he didn't know how right he was. 

^*^*^*

**_Authors Note:_**

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I'm sorry that this took so many days to get out, but I was trying to figure out how I wanted to bring Lily's Father into this, and I remember how close to Christmas they were too, and I didn't know what kinds of details I wanted to put in it either. So, sorry!

_And for those of you who don't know, **mia amore** is Italian for my love. _

_I know that this is a really short chapter, and I apologize, but I didn't have anything else to put into this chapter. _

_Within the next chapter, Lily goes shopping, Christmas comes, and she gets a flash – but of what?? LoL. Wait to find out! _

_Review please! I might update a little faster if I get closer to that 200 mark. ::Hint, hint:::_

_Well, tell me what you thought, and if you liked. And if you want to see any particular thing within the next couple of chapters, tell me, okay? _

_Always yours, _

_Mistress del Mare_


	16. Happy Christmas

Forever Yours 

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**_Chapter 16 – Happy Christmas_**

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The next few days flew by quickly for Lily. With all of her planning for Christmas, trying to figure out why only half of the prophecy happened to be with Intelligence, and trying to figure out if she was ready for a baby at _this _direct moment, it seemed like the week flew by before she could even blink. And before she knew it, Christmas Eve was there, and she was walking with James to his parents' house for a party.

"Why couldn't we just apparate?" James whined for the tenth time as they strolled along the snow covered sidewalks hand-in-hand, watching the carolers sing. 

"Because I wanted to walk, that's why," Lily smiled as she pressed closer to James's side. She was starting to get cold, not that she'd admit that to James though. He'd gloat and come up with something like, '_I told you that it was to cold to go walking three blocks in a dress,'_ and she really didn't feel like hearing him gloat at the moment. 

"But _Lily_," James whined again as he looked down at his wife. "I'm _cold_!"

"Well then, I guess that it's a good thing that we've arrived, isn't it then," she smiled back as she mounted the series of stone steps that led up to two large glass doors. 

James looked up and realized that they were indeed at his childhood home, with its' tall windows, bold lines, and stone work, it looked out of place. The rest of the houses that lined the somewhat cluttered street all had wood paneling, and small windows.

James climb the steps and opened the door. The inside of the house smelled like cinnamon, peppermint, and pine. The hallways were decorated with holly and garland, and the fire crackled merrily to his left as he handed his jacket to a butler that was hired for the party. 

He made his way towards the music room with his shoes clicking steadily on the gleaming hardwood floors, every now and again being muffled by a rug as he stepped on it. 

"There you are! Lily was just starting to wonder where you got to!" Mr. Potter grinned as he came up beside his only son and looked over the crowd of heads that were mingling around. It seemed like everybody picked the same colors for the party. Green, red, gold, or silver, with some white's and blacks thrown in here and there too. 

"Why must we come to these things?" James asked his father as he picked up a glass of red wine from the passing server. 

"Because if we didn't, our wives would have our heads on platters and serve them for Christmas dinner tomorrow," Mr. Potter explained with a grin as he glanced at his wife, and winked at her when her gaze locked with his. 

"Right. Forgot about that," James laughed as he waved to his father and plunged into the crowd of people. 

~*~*~*~*~

Lily and James stayed longer than most of the guests, and stayed with his parents until 11:30 before deciding to head home to get a few hours of sleep before getting up in the morning. 

The next morning they woke up to a gray sky, and the sound of waves beating against rocks. 

"Happy Christmas, baby," James whispered groggily as he opened one eye, then quickly shut it again.

"Happy Christmas," Lily yawned before snuggling into James's warmth even more. Her pajama pant legs were bunched up around her knees though, and they were driving her crazy, so she sat up and reached under the heavy red comforter  and pushed them down irritably. 

"Mm. . . Come back," James groaned as he groped around for his wife's body. 

"Come on, handsome, time to get – " she ended with a gasp as his hand accidentally molded her breast. 

James cracked open one of his eyes to look at Lily. Her shoulders were tense, and her eyes were closed, which made him smile for some odd reason. "Wasn't what I was trying to grab, but I think that my hand has the right idea," James smirked as he flexed his fingers, causing Lily to groan in agitation. 

"James," she moaned as he pulled her back onto he bed. "We need to get up, _out_ of bed," she instructed, but was silenced with a kiss from two soft, warm lips.

Let's just say that they celebrated Christmas morning the best way possible. Wrapped up in the one you love.

It was a couple of hours later when the two actually got up out of bed, and started to get ready for the day. They were supposed to go and visit Lily's mom, and then go with her over to the Potter's, and then everybody was coming over to their house for dinner. Why they didn't just agree on celebrating in one place, they didn't know. 

They made it to Alexandra's house minutes before the noon hour, and greeted her in the sitting room. She had been sitting in an overstuffed blue chair sipping hot coco, staring into the fire when they had entered the room. Now, she was sitting on the floor with her daughter and son-in-law, waiting for Petunia and her family to come over and visit. 

"This feels weird," Lily admitted as she looked at the tree. "Last year I didn't come home for 

Christmas, so I really didn't feel it as much, but now? It's like everything is missing. If Daddy was still here, everyone would be here, sitting on the floor, couches, chairs, anything that they could find, singing and laughing, and then we'd open presents. But it just doesn't feel right to do that tradition without him here. You know what I mean?" Lily asked as she looked at her Mother. 

"Yes, I do. I was thinking about that minutes before you two came in," she admitted. 

"Why are you all sitting on the floors?" Petunia asked, her voice ringing with disgust as she and her . . . large husband walked in the room, acting like they were royalty. 

Lily rolled her eyes dramatically and smacking her hand against her forehead, said, "Oh the horror," causing James to smirk at his wife, and her mom to laugh cheerfully. "But anyways, Pet," Lily said in a normal voice as she leaned her head on James' shoulder and looked at her half sister, and laughed as she saw the blonde cringe at the old nickname. "We're on the floor because Sirius hexed all of the chairs and couches," she managed to say without a trace of a smile, and even put in a scowl for good measure. 

"Him again? When _will_ you get more mature friends Lily? You have _got_ to grow _up_," Petunia sneered, causing Lily to laugh. "And _you_ Petunia need to enjoy the holiday, lighten up! It's Christmas," Lily smiled cheerfully. She never could manage to be mean or in anything but a good mood on Christmas. 

Vernon stared at Lily in a way that gave her the chills, making James sling a protective arm around her shoulders and glare menacingly at the chubby man with two chins. "And you Lily, need to learn how to control what you say to my wife," the man stated as he tried to lower himself to the ground. 

Lily shook her head, and sighed. "The furniture isn't really hexed, you may sit on it if you wish to," she informed them as she looked back at her mother, and stared into the identical green eyes as she mouthed, 'I'm sorry,' to her. 

"May we all survive this next hour," Alexandra muttered as she gather up the presents from under the tree.

~*~*~*~

After an hour of torture with Vernon and Petunia, Alex, Lily and James all headed over to the Potter's residence, and pretty much did the same thing, except with a cheerful atmosphere. 

It wasn't long until Lily had strapped on an apron, and was cooking up what all needed to be cooked. The turkey was quickly finishing, thanks to magic, and she had already finished everything else, so she left the kitchen and headed towards the library, where her mother, and in-laws were, along with the Black's, Kayla, Aria, and Remus. 

"Is the food done yet?" Sirius asked as he looked over at her. 

Lily laughed and shook her head. "Never change Sirius. How _can_ you stay that thin and eat the way that you do?" Lily wondered as she walked into the room and over to the chair James was sitting in before sitting in his lap. 

"Fast metabolism I say," Mrs. Black informed Lily with a grin. "Which is the best thing that his father here passed down to him, seeing as they both could eat a whole supermarket out of food in one day and _still _be hungry." She joked, causing her husband and son shout indignantly. 

"I can _not_ eat a whole supermarket Mum!" Sirius yelled, causing his friends to laugh at him, knowing that if he was given the chance, he'd try. 

"Hey, we need to finish opening our presents," Kayla announced as she drew all the rest of the presents in a circle. 

"Right," Mr. Black smiled as he and the rest of the adults got up to go into another room, knowing what the kids idea was. They had always opened their presents together without anyone else around. 

Lily got off of James's lap, and pulled him up and dragged him into the circle that had already formed on the cream colored rug in front of the roaring fireplace. 

"Right-o!" Remus smiled as he handed Sirius his present. 

Sirius greedily tore open the wrapping paper to reveal a magical snow globe that had a fire-breathing dragon inside of it, in memory of his escapades with the dragon while he was in training. 

Sirius looked at the globe and laughed. "Thanks for the memory pal!" 

The rest smiled and watched as he attacked the next gift, which turned out to be a hair supply kit, because he kept on complaining that his hair was getting in the way of his work – this was from Aria. He then got a wrist watch from Lily that said, '_To the brother I never had. Hope this makes you on time more often! Love, Lily._' And James had gotten him a muggle music set, which caused Sirius to pause in his gift opening and try to figure out how to work the thing, until Lily got up and flipped a switch, making him think that she had performed some kind of magic on it. And Kayla had gotten him a glass quidditch model. 

Kayla received a diamond necklace from Sirius, a pillow from Aria which said, '_If it looks like I'm gonna bitch at ya', **run**_,' and a box of books from Remus. Lily got her a stuffed animal, like she had every year, but this one was a lot like last years, except it was a white jaguar instead of a white tiger – Kayla's animagus form, and it moved and acted almost like a _real_ animal. And then, James had gotten her a photo album that was filled with pictures of them all from the time that they had first met each other, till recent days. 

James got a chessboard from Remus, because even though James sucked at chess, he was determined to beat someone at it _one_ of these days. Aria got him a big box filled with chocolates, Kayla got him a watch that was exactly like Sirius's from Lily, and Lily got him an album that had pictures of only the two of them in it. 

Lily got a gift certificate to Flourish and Blotts from Aria, a glass ball from Remus - who for some reason agreed with James's theory on Lily being able to see in the future, a basket of her favorite perfume and bath oils from Kayla, and a oval shaped locket that had a single diamond in the middle of it shaped like a tear from Sirius. James gave her a fairy figurine, along with a close to human sized figurine of the water fairy.

Remus got a few potion books from Kayla, a glass chessboard from James, a snow globe that had a couple of wolves moving around in it from Aria, and he got a big book supply on the Dark Arts from Lily, knowing that he had wished to teach the subject sometime in the future, and a statue of blowing trees from Sirius.

Aria received a globe with three animals in it – a white tiger, jaguar and fox, which all symbolized Kayla's, Lily's and Aria's animal forms, from Sirius, emerald earrings from Remus, a gift certificate for Flourish and Blotts from James, and a statue of a fairy sitting on a log with her wind blowing around her face. 

By the time that they finished, the buzzer singling that the turkey was done started to ring, so Lily got up to go and check on it while the others picked up the mess that they had made while opening presents.

It took the five of them a little bit to clean up, because Sirius, during his excitement, had thrown paper every which way, and they didn't want to overfill the fireplace either, so they had to wait for the paper to get burned. After they were done, they went into the kitchen, washed their hands, and then walked into the dinning room, which has never been used before. The large mahogany table held platters of turkey, ham, potatoes, biscuits, gravy, cranberries, yams, and stuffing. 

"Food!" Sirius yelled before he sat down quickly and tried to decide what he wanted to eat. 

"You'll wait until we say grace," Mrs. Black frowned at her son. 

Sirius mumbled a quiet apology and waited patiently for Mr. Potter to finish saying grace. 

As soon as the final blessings went around, Sirius dived for the turkey, causing his friends and family to shake their heads in amusement. But then, they noticed that his and his fathers plates were already full of food, and they laughed.

It was good to be together for the holiday again. But they all felt like they were missing somebody. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**_Authors Note:_**

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I know, this is short, but I'm sorry. I've been getting really stressed over school lately, my best friend ended up in a car accident, and is currently in ICU, and I just haven't been able to find time for my stories. I'm sorry, but I hope that you all understand. 

I'm hoping that I'll be able to update in a few days. I've already started on the next chapter, so I don't think that it should take that long. But it also depends on if I have the time to get on the computer. 

_So, I'm sorry if I'm not able to get a chapter out to you all soon, but please realize that I'm trying my best too. _

_Well, hope you liked this chapter. Did it seem a little rushed to any of you? _

_If so, I might do this chapter over and post it at a later time. _

_Well, tell me what you think!_

_Mistress del Mare_


	17. You're What!

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Forever Yours 

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**_Chapter 17 – You're What?_**

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After Christmas passed, the New Year party followed. It was held at Sirius and Kayla's house, and everybody from Hogwarts that had been friends with the group were there. 

Then, it was time to go back to work. It seemed like time started to pass by faster than ever after that short holiday. Lily started to get behind on cases, and it seemed like she only had time to read, eat and sleep. She still spent time with her friends and family, but not as much as she usually did. And she was still trying to figure out why her Father had the full prophecy while _Intelligence_ only had a portion of it. She didn't know why, but she had the feeling that the answer to that was important for some reason. 

Meanwhile, after the holiday's, Deatheater activities skyrocketed. There were two or three hits a day, mostly on muggle villages. And the hits weren't just restricted to Britain either. They went all over Europe, Asia, and America. And it was James's duty to get information out of the muggles, and perform memory charms on them. They weren't doing any fighting, but they did follow the trail that _Intelligence_ gave them trying to see if they could beat Voldemort at his own game. No luck so far, but you never know.

Sirius and Kayla were sent on daily raids, trying to fight the Deatheaters and save the muggles at the same time. It's not to say that they got out of the fights unscathed, because they didn't. They've gotten cut, they've gotten hexed, killing curses thrown at them, along with many others, but they were still alive, and that was all that mattered.  

Remus and Aria, whom were both working in the experimental labs, were trying to find a way to live through the killing curse, but so far had no luck. 

And on top of all that, the six friends were _still_ doing their extra training that they had started in their seventh year, _and_ they were all keeping an eye out for Tiffany and Peter. They were all getting this feeling that they were going to be showing up soon, but they didn't know when, and they wanted to be prepared for him. 

It seemed like everyone was so occupied with work, and discoveries, and mourning's for those lost that they were all taken by surprise when they started to see Halloween decorations being put up everywhere. _What happened to the rest of the months?_ They all thought as they stared at the decorations stupidly. 

~*~*~*~

One night, Lily was laying in bed, reading a case file, when James stumbled through the door looking like hell.

"What the hell happened to you?" Lily gasped as she threw back the covers and ran over to her husband.

James leaned against the bedroom door and clutched his head. The room was spinning, and his gaze was fuzzy. "Lily?" he croaked out as he lifted his head and tried to look for her, but even _with_ his glasses on, he could only make out blobs of color. 

"Right here, James," she said as she slid an arm around his waist and led him over to the bed. "Come on, we're going to lay you down, and I'm going to see if anything is wrong with you, okay?" she whispered lightly, knowing that he had a headache. She was starting to shake she realized with a jolt of shock. She'd never seen James this beaten up. Not even after Quidditch practice or even games. He had a gash on his forehead that looked nasty and bled continuously, his hands were bruised and battered, and his back was slumped for some reason. 

"Here you go," she said with a fake smile. "Lay down. Easily!" she nearly shouted as he started to fall onto the bed. After she eased him down, she ran to the bathroom and got some water and bandages out, and grabbed her wand from her bedside table. 

"I'm going to clean you up first, okay honey?" she asked as she took off his glasses and began getting all of the dirt off of his face. 

"Lily?" James whispered. "Come to bed with me."

"I will, I promise," she smiled. If he was asking that, he must not be all that hurt. "Just let me clean you up some, okay?" 

"But I want you with me right now!" he whined and pouted. 

Lily laughed at his antics and finished cleaning him up in seconds. She then took her wand and pointed it at his forehead, and with a flick of her wrist, the cut was healed. "I'm going to get you out of these clothes to see if you were hurt anywhere else okay?" she asked as she began to unbutton James's black shirt. 

"As long as you end up naked with me," he smiled goofily, making Lily wonder what he used as painkillers. "James, honey, what did you take to make all the pain go away?" she asked. 

James furrowed his brows in concentration and thought. "I don't really know. After I got attacked by this lady's husband, thinking that I came back to kill them, she gave me two pills from this brown looking container and told me to take one, that they'd take the pain away, so I did." 

Lily shook her head. Wizards bodies weren't used to muggle painkillers or medicine, so he probably felt like he was on top of the world at the moment, but he'd definitely be feeling the after affects tomorrow. She looked down at his chest, and struggled not to let her gasp of outrage come out of her mouth. His beautiful chest was _bruised!_ Black and blue, and they were _big_ bruises! "Oh, James, honey," she sniffled as she lovingly ran her fingers down his chest, being careful to avoid the black and blue areas. Whoever done this to her husband better be glad that she didn't know who they were, else they'd be ending up worse than James had. 

Lily inspected the rest of James's body and muttered a healing spell, and he was almost all better. He'd be having a backache for a while though, as she didn't know how to make that one go away. 

"Mm. You finished yet?" James asked as he opened his eyes and gazed at his wife. 

"Yes, I am."

"Good. Come here then," he smiled as he opened his arms to her. 

Lily smiled and knowing that he could see her, she raised her hands to the thin straps on her nightgown, and lowered them slowly. As the silky material fell away from the swells of her breasts, she let the garment drop to the floor, and got on the bed to straddle her husband. He was deliciously naked from when she removed his clothes to see if he was hurt anywhere else. 

"Mm. Lily," he groaned in appreciation as his hands cupped her breasts. Lily let her head fall back as his fingers bushed over the hardened tips of her nipples. 

James watched as his wife's head fell back and felt his body react. She looked so beautiful when she stopped trying to control everything. Her auburn hair falling down her back in waves, her sparkling green eyes watching him from little slits, her mouth slightly opened, her back bowed invitingly. "God, what you do to me," he whispered as he sat up and took one of her breasts in his mouth, enticing a low moan of pleasure from Lily. He let his now free hand travel down the length of Lily's back, then stopped on her butt. Slipping a finger along the crevice, he slowly, ruthlessly rubbed his finger against her swollen clit, and was delighted when he felt her grinding her lower body against his finger, trying to get some kind of release. 

James dipped his finger in her opening, and his lips around her nipple. She was ready for him. Hot for him. Wet for him. 

James took his finger away from her body, and his mouth released her breast with no little sorrow, and took her lips in a searing kiss as he shifted her back, her entrance over his cock. 

Lily didn't wait for him to guide her down, she impaled herself down his length, and their groans melded as she set a fast pace. Lily placed her hands on James' chest as he laid back down and gripped her hips. He timed his hips to her thrusts, and gripped onto her hips. Hard. He knew that he was going to leave bruises on the pale flesh, but at the moment, he didn't care. 

Lily was close to her peak, and she knew it. She could feel it. The knot in her belly was as tight as it was going to get, and it was about to snap. James thrust upwards one more time, and she shattered with a hoarse scream. The stars all exploded behind her eyelids, and she grew limp. With one more thrust, James exploded within her body. 

Lily slumped sticky with sweat on James's chest. "Wow." She whispered as she listened to the frantic beat of his heart. 

"Mm." Was all James could manage as he played with the tips of Lily's hair. 

It was a while before James found enough strength to pull himself out of the warm, sweet haven of his wife and shift her to lay curled into his side. 

~*~*~*~*~

Halloween seemed to pass before it even came, and Lily found herself at the beginning of December before she realized something crucial. She was late. She was now two months late. 

"Lily?" Kayla asked as she walked into Lily and James's room. And looked at Lily weirdly as she saw that her best friend was pacing the room. Something was up. And if James did something to make Lily worry, she would personally beat the living shit out of him. And she knew for a fact that James was in Diagon Ally with Sirius shopping for something or another.

"Kay, I think that I'm pregnant," she whispered from her spot next to the window. 

Kayla looked at her best friend in shock. "W-what?" she stuttered. "Are you sure?" Lily shrugged and pinned her friend with a frantic look over her shoulder. "I made an appointment for today with the doctor, but I'm scared to go alone. W-will you come with me?" 

Kayla, still somewhat shocked, scowled at Lily. "You honestly have to ask! Of course I will! What kind of best friend do you think that I am?" 

Lily laughed and walked over to her best friend. "I'm sorry. I'm just scared. What if James changed his mind about it? What if I'm not ready?" Lily fretted. 

"Lily. You'll be a wonderful mother. And James would be stupid to have changed his mind. And it's natural for you to be scared, just relax okay?" Kayla instructed. When Lily nodded her head, Kayla asked, "When's your appointment?" 

Lily glanced at the clock on the mantel and sighed. "In about ten minutes." 

Kayla shook her head. '_She could have told me a **little** sooner,'_ she thought. "Well then, don't you think that we should get going then?" 

Lily nodded her head and picked up her coat before heading over to the fireplace. "Dr. Huggins office!" she yelled as she stepped into the fire. 

Kayla did the same, and came out inside of a white fireplace and looked around. The room was pale white and gray. Pretty depressing if you asked her, but she shrugged and walked over to the seat where Lily had sat down. 

They had barely been there for two minutes when an aging woman walked out of a door that seemed to never quit moving. "Lily Potter?" she called as she looked around the full waiting room. 

Lily and Kayla stood up and made their way over to the doctor. 

"I'm Lily Potter," Lily smiled at the woman. 

"Right, if you'll follow me?" she asked. 

Kayla and Lily followed the woman past a series of room until the stopped in front of one that had a cushioned table and a few different machines around it. 

"If you don't mind, I'm going to do a regular check up on you first, then we'll check to see if you're pregnant," Dr. Huggins asked as she timed Lily's heartbeat. 

After being in the room for five minutes, the doctor pulled her wand out and pointed it at Lily's stomach. "You're going to feel a tingle, okay?" the doctor asked as she muttered a few words. 

Lily felt a weird tingle in her abdomen, and struggled not to laugh. It sorta tickled. 

"Well, Mrs. Potter, you're going to be a mother. You're pregnant," the doctor smiled as she lowered her wand. 

Lily stared at the doctor for a few minutes before it finally settled in. She was going to be a _Mother!_ "Oh my God. I – I have to tell James!" she nearly screamed as she jumped off of the table and hugged the doctor. "Thank you!" she laughed as she stepped back and looked into the eyes of a laughing doctor. 

"You are most welcome Mrs. Potter," she smiled. "But you need to get an appointment with a (_A/N: I have no clue what in the world those doctors are called that you go to when you're pregnant, sorry! If one of you could tell me, I'll replace this note with the actual name.)_ soon to make sure that the baby is healthy and all of that, okay?" she asked Lily, who just nodded her head and started out the door. 

"I'm pregnant," Lily whispered as she hugged Kayla. 

"Go home, wait for James, tell him the good news," Kayla laughed as she shoved her best friend towards the fireplace. 

~*~*~*~

Lily took Kayla's advice and went home to wait for James. 

She started to pace the floor of their room again, this time not with fear, but impatience.

"I have something important to tell that man and is he here? _No!_ of course not! He's James Potter," Lily growled as she kept on pacing the room, not noticing a grinning man in the shadows of the room. "When I get my hands on that man I'm going to strangle him. After I tell him that is," she continued. 

"Then maybe I should go back out," James smiled as he stepped out of the shadows and over to his shock wife's form and hugged her. "Sorry I was gone so long," he whispered into her ear then leaned back and kissed her lips. 

"Mm," Lily sighed, "You're here now. I have something to tell you," she smiled as she looked in his eyes. 

"I gathered, so why don'tcha tell me?" he asked as he began humming and guiding Lily in a dance with music that only he could hear. He was so _happy!_ In less than a week he and Lily would be married for a year. In less than a week he and Lily would be married for a year. A _year_! He just came back from picking out her present with Sirius when she stepped out of the fireplace and began pacing. He'd been watching her for at least twenty minutes before he said something. 

"James, I hope that you aren't going to be mad about this, or that you haven't changed your mind," Lily started, then stopped to breathe deeply. This was a little awkward if she did say so herself. 

James frowned. It was obviously important, but what would he be mad about? "What is it Lily? You can't know for sure unless you tell me," he told her and ran a gentle finger down the side of her cheek. '_Her skin is so smooth,_' he thought as he gazed into her emerald green eyes. 

"James, I really hope that you are happy about this, but I found out earlier today that I'm – I'm going to have a baby." She managed to get out. She held James's gaze after she said this, and watched the shock, fear, and happiness go through them. 

"A baby. A real live baby?" he asked softly. Lily nodded her head and continued to watch James' reaction. 

"That's wonderful! That's great! We're going to be _parents_ Lily! **_Parents!_**" He screamed as he picked her up and twirled her around. 

Lily laughed and threw her arms around his neck and hung on. "Yes, we are," she smiled as he put her down on her feet. 

James looked down at Lily's stomach with wonder and laid a trembling hand on it. It was still flat as ever, but he knew with a sense of wonder that his son or daughter was growing in there. "I love you Lily," he whispered, his voice choked up with emotions. 

"I love you too James, so much," she smiled through her tears. 

James leaned down and rested his forehead on hers and just stood there looking into her eyes. 

~*~*~*~

Later that night, the Potter's, Black's, Alexandra, Kayla, Aria, and Remus were all seated in the library while Lily sat on the desk, and James stood besides her with a hand resting on her shoulder. 

"Lily and I have some news for you all," James smiled down at her. 

"I'm pregnant," Lily gushed happily. 

James's Mother and Lily's both gasped and ran over to Lily to hug her. "I'm going to be a grandma!" they cried together. 

As Alexandra pulled back, she looked into Lily's eyes. "Even though I'm too young to be a grandmother, I'm so very happy for you baby," she smiled. 

Lily beamed at her Mother. It seemed like she couldn't stop smiling. Ever since she told James that afternoon, she couldn't stop smiling, even though her cheeks were hurting, she couldn't stop. 

For the next couple of hours, everyone celebrated the good news. And then Kayla and Sirius announced that they finally managed to pick a date for their wedding. 

"We know that this is your party Lily, but we wanted to announce this. Sirius and I finally picked our date. Everything has been set for the past three months, but we just couldn't come up with a date for the wedding. Well, we finally did. February 1." 

With a squeal of delight, Lily hugged her friend. "Finally! I thought that you two were going to remain engaged forever!" 

"So did I!" Kayla laughed. 

"Let's just hope that _I_ don't take that long," Aria smiled as she gave Kayla a hug. 

"You won't. You're too determined to wait that long." Kayla smiled. 

Aria laughed. "Yea, I guess I am. It's just I start thinking that if I give Remus enough time to think it over, he's going to get scared and balk," she explained as she looked over at Remus who was talking with Sirius and James. 

Kayla and Lily looked over towards the corner where the guys were talking and smiled. 

"Let's go over and talk with the men," Lily smiled as she made her way over to James. 

Lily slipped her hand through his, and he glanced down at her with a smile before turning back to his conversation and slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to his body. 

As she looked around, she noticed that the other guys had done the same, and smiled. It was uncanny how much alike these three could be, yet still be different at the same times. 

They were each special in their own way too. 

~*~*~*~

**_Authors Note:_**

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Hey you guys. I'm sorry that I'm skipping so much time, but I really don't know what else to put in between. And I fear that I'm probably going to make Lily's pregnancy fit into only one chapter, but I promise that it'll be a long one. 

_I'll have the next chapter out as soon as I can._

_I hope that you liked this one! Review and tell me what you thought!_

_Mistress del Mare_


	18. A Wedding and A Baby

Forever Yours 

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**_Chapter 18_**

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A Wedding and A Baby 

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It didn't take long for the news of Lily's pregnancy to get spread around, and soon both Lily and James were being showered with peoples congratulations. 

For the first few months, Lily was positively glowing at the prospect of being a Mother. She had _always_ loved children, and now, she could have her own. She couldn't be happier! 

James found himself being dragged to furniture stores and clothes stores constantly along with Lily and what seemed like every other female in all of Britain (but only really consisted of their Mothers, Kayla and Aria).  

Lily had said that she didn't want to know the sex of the baby yet when the obstetrician had asked them if they wanted to know, so Lily decided that they wouldn't do any major decorating until later on in her pregnancy, (which James was fearing, thanks to horror stories that his own Father decided to reveal). But they had went through the whole, house, top to bottom, and started to make it baby safe. Meaning nothing that could tip over onto a baby was on the floor, breakables were put up out of the reach of toddler's fingers, all doors now had locks, all cabinets were spelled so that no baby could get into the contents, and the stairs were protected against falls too. 

Before anybody could blink, James and Lily's anniversary was upon them all. 

Lily had to admit, that while James might not have taken her anywhere special for their first honeymoon, she couldn't have _dreamed_ of a better one. They had spent the _entire _day together, and then, as soon as the sun started to set, James led Lily out to the cliffs and set up a nice dinner, and then gave her a beautiful emerald bracelet, which caused Lily to gasp and launch herself into her husband's arms happily. James couldn't have been happier with the outcome of that night, having ended it in their bedroom, naked in the sheets. 

Shortly after their anniversary, Christmas came. This year though, everybody got into the holiday spirit, and enjoyed the season once again, made the most of it, enjoyed the company of one another, and toasted to the upcoming wedding and the phases of pregnancy. Everyone seemed happy; carefree. Everyone acted like they had before the death of Nicholas Evans. 

 A few days after New Years, Kayla was starting to go to fittings for her wedding dress. She would bring Lily along, in hopes that she would help calm the raging fear in her stomach. Kayla would admit it, she didn't know what to expect out of her wedding. She didn't know if Sirius would be able to handle being married, and she was terrified that Sirius would all of a sudden realize _who_ he was marring. Not some model off of the front pages of Witches Weekly, but Kayla Cameron, the mean ill-tempered woman.

While Kayla was getting fitted for her dress, she also made sure that Lily was getting fitted for her Maid-of-Honors dress, much to Lily's displeasure. Lily was gaining weight, and she knew it. With all of her late-night cravings for pies, _chocolate, _ice creams, _chocolate_, and pasta, _and chocolate_, she _knew_ that she was gaining weight, and despised the idea. She wanted to stay the same weight! But, she was proud to say that she hasn't had any weird cravings yet. _Yet_ being the operative word. 

The end of January came with rapid speed, and Kayla began to fret about the smallest of things. That, and the fact that she started to wonder if she'd make an announcement sometime soon that was exactly like Lily's. Yes, Kayla started to wonder if she too was pregnant. _'God help us all if I am,'_ she thought as soon as she started to worry.

February 1 was finally here, after much waiting, and Kayla was sick to her stomach. _Literally._ She was about to pledge her life to one man within the next . . . hour and ten minutes. Wasn't she allowed to me nervous?

"Kayla, come on, breathe," Lily instructed as she kneeled in front of stool where Kayla was presently sitting. 

They (Aria, Lily, and Alexandra) had finally gotten Kayla into her dress, but they still needed put her veil on, but Kayla couldn't stay still long enough for them to get it on securely without messing up the beautiful ringlets that flowed down her bare back. 

The bright white of the dress was a shocking contrast to the darkness of Kayla's hair and skin, that it made her look like she was illuminated. She just had that wedding day shine to her. And the cold feet too, but that was understanding. Everyone had them when they were about to get married.  

The dress itself was a sleeveless white gown with sharp lines, and the skirt was layers upon layers of silk and lace, that made it look like Kayla just stepped out of a fashion magazine. She looked brilliant in the dress. She looked like it was _made_ for her.

"What if he isn't there? What about that Lily?" Kayla fretted as she looked into the green eyes of her best friend. 

"Kayla, Sirius will be at the end of that long walkway waiting for you, got that? Now all you need to do is breathe deeply, calm down and let Aria and I put this veil on you. But we need you to _stay still_ to do that," Lily instructed as she looked straight into Kayla's smoke gray eyes. 

Kayla nodded her head and took five deep breaths. By that time, Aria and Lily had already managed to place the veil on the crown of her head, which was good considering that Kayla didn't think that she could stay still. 

Despite Kayla's worries, the ceremony went perfectly. Sirius was waiting in front of the alter looking proud at the sight of his soon – to – be – wife, with James standing besides him, looking at Kayla as if she was the only woman on earth. 

_Authors Note: **I don't want to put the full ceremonies in this story, because they belong in the Spellbound story. Sorry!**_

The newly weds stayed at the reception only long enough to get in the first dance, and thank their guests for coming, then they were on their way to Greece for their honeymoon. 

"Kayla was so beautiful today," Lily whispered as she lay down in bed and snuggled into the heat that was her husband. 

"Yeah, she was. But to me, you were even more beautiful. _Are_ more beautiful," he smiled as his hand rubbed her lower back. 

"No I'm not. I'm turning fat," she sniffed. She wasn't used to the extra pounds, and was a little pissed that none of her clothes fit her anymore. She had always took pride in being physically fit; she always ran, ate healthy for the most part, did daily exercise, and she had never in her memory, been overweight. Now, it looked like she didn't care one way or another about what her body looked like! "Why can't _you_ have the baby, James?" she asked him as she poked his side right between his ribs.

"Ow! I can't have the baby because I don't have the right organs to do so, sweetheart," he explained for the fiftieth time. Ever since her pants started to become a little tighter on her, Lily had been asking him that same question over and over again. It was then that he realized something that he never knew about his wife; she's self conscious about how she looks, and doesn't like to look fat. 

Before Lily had gotten pregnant, she always knew that people were looking at her because they thought that she was pretty. But now, every time someone looks at her face, she thinks that they are saying that she's fat. If this woman could get anymore self-conscious, he felt sorry for himself. (Forget her, he would feel sorry for himself. He was the one who had to deal with her crazy mood swings. And those in themselves were something to look out for.) As it was already, he had to keep on telling her eighty times a day that she was beautiful. Not that he minded, because to him, his wife _was_ beautiful. No, she was more than beautiful. She was gorgeous. 

Lily sighed as she rested her head against his shoulder, and immediately her breathing evened out, telling him that she had already fallen asleep. 

James smiled and closed his eyes and let slumber take over. 

~*~*~*

Lily's six month marker was about when she started getting her disgusting cravings. Spaghetti with tarter sauce, pickles with whip cream, apple pie with chocolate syrup, and much more that would most likely turn your stomach. Hell, it'd turn _Lily's_ stomach if she hadn't been pregnant! 

Kayla had found out after she had come back from her honeymoon that she was two and a half months pregnant, and was shocked as hell. She had _never_ expected to be pregnant _this_ early into her marriage, but there was nothing she could do about it. She had told Lily, as soon as she found out, and her friend grinned and said, '_Wait 'til the cravings and blimpness comes, Kay. You'll **love** Sirius for that.'_ As she finished a quart of ice cream, Kayla figured that Lily was most likely right. She would hate the cravings most likely. Knowing that she would being eating things that would regularly make her gag? Poor Sirius was going to be without some vital organs.

 In Lily's seventh month, she began getting supremely touchy on her weight. If you said one thing about what size you wore, or what Lily looked like, she'd snap at you, and then break down and cry hysterically.

And James! He had it worse than all of them! He _lived_ with the woman! Every night after he came home, he got the same question. _Do you think that I look fat?_ With Lily looking at him with tear-stained eyes, and a sweet smile, expecting him to give her an answer that she would actually want to hear. Ha! Yeah right. There is no pleasing pregnant woman, and James had to find that one out the hard way.__

No matter which way he answered to the fat question, she cried! If he said yes, she got mad and said and I quote, '_Fine then James Potter! Since you obviously don't think much of your **fat** wife, you can go sleep somewhere else!'_ and she'd storm out of the room in a huff. But if he said _no_, she would always come up with, '_Don't you **dare** lie to me James Potter! I want to know what you really think!_' which would result in another argument. He had to say though, he'd seen more of the couch in that one month than he had since the year and five months that they'd been married. He sorta grew a fondness for the thing after a while. It was quite comfortable if you gave it a chance. 

But never fail, sometime during the small hours of the morning, Lily would come down stairs with a blanket wrapped around her increasing figure, wake James up from slumber, and make him come upstairs and hold her and fall asleep in their bed. She always explained with a '_I can't fall asleep without you next to me James, I need you,_' and would manage to make James feel like the biggest and strongest man on Earth with those few words as she cuddled next to him, nuzzling his neck as she fell into a restful slumber. 

In Lily's eight month, James started to worry. He had heard that sometimes wizarding babies came in the eight-month rather than the ninth month, and every time Lily moved, he held his breath. He _hated_ going to work, not knowing if his wife was going into labor at that exact moment. It was driving him _crazy_! 

Every night he came home and sprinted up the stairs to see if Lily was in bed. Which was usually a 'no'. That woman would _not_ stay in bed for _anything_! She insisted on decorating the babies room _while_ she was eight months pregnant, and wouldn't let anyone else but _her_ do it either. 

And the heart stoppers were when she would go out to the cliffs just to gaze at the crashing waters and breathe in the sea air. James always had visions of her climbing them as she did before she was pregnant, and his heart would literally stop with fear. He wouldn't be surprised if he had _any_ hair left by the time this baby was finally born. Lily was driving him insane! 

And then, the second week into Lily's ninth month, while she and James were standing outside, watching the ocean beat ruthlessly against the rocks, _away_ from the edge of the cliff that is, Lily's water broke. 

"Uh. James, honey," Lily said calmly. 

James smiled down at his wife. "Yes?" 

"I believe that my water just broke."

James looked at Lily with confusion. "Your water?" he asked her trying to figure out what she meant by that. As soon as the words were out of his mouth though, he realized what she meant. 

"You mean- the baby – the baby is coming?" he rushed as he expressed himself with wild hand movements. 

Lily nodded and gripped James's arm. She was scared, and there was no use denying it. She was past scared. She was terrified! Something that big coming out of something so . . . small! '_This is not happening! I'll just be fat for the rest of my days, but this baby is **not **coming out of me!' _she thought wildly. 

"James honey? How about we just go back inside and read or something," she suggested weakly as he propelled her forward so that he could get them to the hospital. 

"Uh-huh, Lily, darling, we're getting you to a hospital. _Now_." He told her. 

James knew what was going on in his pretty wife's little head, and he knew that in the end, she'd go through with the pain, but he wasn't going to miss a step, and he was going to get her to the hospital now. He wasn't about to give Lily time enough to start freaking out on him. That was _his_ job. 

Not hers.

Luckily, James takes his wand with him everywhere, so as soon as they got far enough from the cliffs, he grabbed onto Lily, and apparated to St. Mungo's. 

"Hello, Sir," the witch at the nurses station smiled at him as he walked up to it after sitting Lily down in a nearby chair. 

"Yes, my wife is going into labor," he explained.

"Does she have a doctor or a midwife that she has requested?" the lady asked as she looked at James. 

"Yes, she has requested Nichol Evans as her mid-wife," James told the young witch, referring to Lily's aunt from her fathers' side of the family. 

The witch nodded her head, got up and went towards the doctor's station. 

In no time, Lily was seated in a hospital bed with a nightgown on, trying to stay still. 

"I'm going to go and tell everybody, and go home and get your things, okay honey?" James asked as he kissed her forehead. 

Lily smiled weakly and nodded her head. 

"And I'll wait here with you," Nichol Evans smiled as she walked into her only niece's room. 

"Okay," Lily croaked. 

With one last kiss, James walked out of the room. 

"How do you feel sweetheart?" Nichol asked as she sat down in a chair. 

"Scared. Terrified. Help!" She pleaded with a wild look going through her eyes as her gaze darted from corner to corner, trying to find some way to get out of the hospital. Or maybe a book of spells that would help either making the baby magically appear or to magically _stay_ inside of her, but that was to no avail. 

Nichol laughed and smiled at her niece. "Don't worry about anything Lily. Everything will turn out just fine. Yes, there will be pain, but it's worth it all in the end. Don't worry."

Lily started crying. "I want my Daddy!" she sobbed, thinking about the fact that her father wouldn't be there to see his first grandchild. To be able to teach his grandchild what he taught her, to be able to bounce the little boy on his knees and laugh with him, and sneak him cookies and play with him in the dirt. It hadn't hit her until now how much her child would be missing out on. How much she _needed_ her dad at this time in her life. 

"He'll always be with you Lily," Nichol told her. "In your heart. Even if you don't think about him, he'll still be here with you."

Lily nodded her head deftly and continued to cry. 

"Lily! What's wrong, baby?" James asked as he walked into the room to see his wife crying. He worried when she didn't answer and rushed to her side, wondering if it had anything to do with the baby.

"Daddy isn't here," she whispered as she grabbed James's hand and pulled him closer.

"Shh. It's all right baby, shh," he tried to soothe as he perched himself on the edge of her bed and stroked her hair lovingly. 

It wasn't long after that that the room was filled with visitors. 

Mrs. Black, Mrs. Evans, and Mrs. Potter were all relating stories about their experiences with birth, trying to calm Lily down a little further. 

But Lily was starting to go crazy with all the contractions that she was having. They _hurt!_ They hurt like hell. 

Soon though, Lily was led to the delivery room, with James following nervously. 

It was time for the next generation of the Potter line to come into the world. 

And God help James as soon as the pain was over for Lily. Because he is going to **_pay_**. He was definitely going to pay for all this pain. 

~*~*~*~*~

**_Authors Notes:_**

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**_I'm sorry that this seems so rushed, but I promise you guys that this is the last chapter like this. I just needed to get from there to giving birth and this was the only way that I could think to do it, so yea. Sorry!_**

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The next chapter is probably going to be short, 'cuz it's gonna mainly be about Harry's birth, and Lily going home with him. So yea. 

Well, I hope that you liked this chapter! Review and tell me what you think!

Oh, and just so you know. We're almost done with the story now. I only have about 5-7 more chapters to go. 

:::Sniffles::: I'm gonna miss writing this story. 

Well. Review!!

Mistress del Mare 


	19. Baby Harry

Forever Yours 

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Chapter 19 

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**_Baby Harry_**

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Lily slumped back into her bed as she felt her baby come out of her body. She was done. The pain was gone. No more pain. 

James watched the doctors as they cleaned the squalling baby and leaned over his wife and kissed her sweaty forehead. "Thank you Lily," he whispered lightly with tears threatening to spill. "I love you." He smiled as he moved some of her damp tendrils of hair off of her forehead. 

"I love you too," Lily smiled weakly. Her body still hurt. Big time. Especially since she hadn't wanted any spells to dull the pain, having heard that they could sometimes effect the baby. 

Lily saw one of the doctors walking towards them with a blue bundle that she knew held her beautiful son. "Someone will be back in five minutes to get him, okay?" the doctor smiled before leaving the room so that the new family could get to know each other. 

Lily cradled the baby in her arms and just gazed at the sleeping beauty. "Welcome into the world, Harry Potter," she whispered as one of Harry's small, pudgy hands locked onto one of her fingers, and she leaned down to kiss him on his slightly pink forehead. Lily looked up and noticed James looking at his son as if he would disappear in minutes. "Do you want to hold him," she asked as she lifted Harry away from her body and offered the bundle that they had created out of love.

James silently nodded his head and took Harry into his arms. "Hi, Harry. I'm your Father. I'm the one whose going to teach you how to play Quidditch, how to make girls chase after you, how to play pranks, and how to get on Mommy's nerves. And I'll love you forever and ever." He whispered quietly, as to not wake up his sleeping child. James sat on the edge of Lily's bed, and leaned against the pillows so that they could both look at him. "Thank you so much Lily. He's ours." James said as he gave her a fleeting kiss on the mouth. 

"Yes, he is ours. And already has your hair," Lily smiled. And it was true. Harry had James' thick, black hair. And it'd probably end up just as un-tamed as the rest of the Potter males hair.  

"Well then, it looks like I'm going to have to teach him how to tame it then!" he smiled as he gazed down at his son. 

"James you can't even tame your own hair!" Lily laughed as she weakly rubbed her husbands back. 

James looked at her with a grin and said, "Doesn't mean that one can't try." Lily shook her head at this and looked over at the door to see who just came in. 

"If you'd like to come with me Mr. Potter we can put your baby in a bed," the doctor smiled at the new family. 

James nodded and got off the bed after Lily quickly gave Harry a kiss and went off to show the people who meant something his child. 

~*~*~*~*

Three days later, Lily and Harry came home for the first time since Harry's been home. Lily smiled as she walked through the front hall. She had missed being home while she was laying in those hard un-comfortable hospital beds. You'd think that they would be able to perform one simple softening charm, but _no_. 

James was at work at the moment, and wouldn't be home for another hour and a half, so nobody was home as she walked the halls of their home. "Do you want me to just pile this stuff in your room Lily?" Tiffany asked as she followed her daughter-in-law and grandson to the nursery. 

"No, that's okay, some of it goes in here, so you can just put it down outside the hall and I'll go through it later," she said as she laid Harry inside of his crib. 

"This looks beautiful Lily!" Tiffany exclaimed as she looked at the finished version of Harry's room. The walls were painted to look as if Harry was surrounded by the gentle waves of the ocean, and the ceiling looked like a bright day with big white puffy clouds, and all of the furniture was made out of a light wood so that it made the room look brighter.

"Thank you. But James had to finish it up while I was in the hospital, so not all of this is my work," she smiled as she begun to walk out into the hall. "Can you stay in here while I go through the things that I brought back?" Lily asked as she stopped in front of Tiffany. 

Tiffany nodded, and Lily smiled her thanks before walking out into the hallway. 

"Hey, Kay," Lily greeted, smiling at the waddling woman.

"Hello. How's my God son doing?" she asked as she stopped and started to rub her large stomach. She was eight months pregnant, and she hated it. It felt like she always had this . . . pressure on her bladder, and it was driving her crazy! And her morning sickness didn't vanish either. It stayed with her.

"He's sleeping for the moment, and will probably be up in about an hour for another feeding. How're you feeling today?" she asked as she shifted a little so that one of the bags could slide into Harry's room. 

"I'm doing okay. I felt sick this morning, but I'm feeling better now, and I'm slowly going insane with all of this limited capability crap. I can't even sit up without levering myself out of the stupid chair!" she vented as she followed Lily to her room. 

"I know how you feel. Believe me, I know how you feel," Lily laughed and put her suitcase on her bed so that she could unpack.

"Does it hurt?" Kayla asked as she sat down in one of the chairs. No matter how hard it is to get back up, she couldn't stand being on her feet that long. 

Lily looked at Kayla from her closet. "Do you want the truth, or do you want reassurance?" she asked as she put her dirty clothes in the hamper. 

"I want the truth. . . I think." 

"I hurts. A _lot_. I'd say that the crucio has nothing on the pain giving birth causes," she said in all truth. "Or at least that's how it felt to me," she shrugged and came back into the main room and stuffed her suitcase under the bed with the others. 

"Oh," was all Kayla said before she dazed off into her own little world. 

Lily smiled knowing that she was thinking about the pain, and left her to her thinking. She also knew that she'd probably end up going home in a few minutes to wait for her husband, seeing as he gets off in about 10 minutes. Just as she was about to open the nursery door, two arms wrapped around her newly healed and almost back to normal stomach. "Hey, baby. I thought that you'd be home at 5," Lily said as she leaned back into James' chest and looked into his sparkling blue eyes. 

"I finished early, and decided that I wanted to spend some time with my family," he smiled as he kissed her neck. 

"Oh, I see. Well, you're going to have to share for a little bit. Kayla and your Mother is here."

"I guess that I can wait then," he smiled jokingly.

Lily laughed and opened the door to Harry's room. Tiffany was sitting in the rocking chair looking at her grandson through the bars of his crib.

"Oh! James, honey, you're home! Well, I guess that I'll be going back home now, so you take care of your family, got that?" she smiled at her son before giving him a peck on the cheek and then embracing Lily and said a quick goodbye.

"Looks like it's just us now," James smiled as he bent over the crib's side and looked at his son sleeping so peacefully. 

"So it does," Lily smiled. 

"Come here you," he instructed as he opened his arms. Lily smiled and walked into his arms gladly. She had missed being able to be this close to him. And she honestly couldn't wait until she could be even closer. 

James's arms closed around her body, and he begun to sway to music that only he could hear. Lily smiled as she tilted his head down and kissed him. They hadn't been able to get many of those in since Harry was born she thought as she felt his tongue glide across her teeth, and then dip into her mouth to play with her tongue. 

Lily moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him closer, and was about to lean into his wonderfully hard body when a baby's cry filled the room. 

Lily and James broke the kiss with a sigh and walked over to the crib together. 

"Come on, baby boy," Lily laughed as she looked into the green eyes that matched hers so perfectly. "You're hungry, aren't you sweetheart," she asked as she picked him up and walked over to the rocking chair that faced the window so that you could see the ocean rising and falling along the horizon. 

Lily pulled off her shirt, took her bra off, and guided Harry's mouth to one of her nipples. She still hasn't gotten used to having a tiny mouth suck on her. But it was a different sensation from when James did it. 

"Do you _have_ to do that when I'm in the room," James groaned as he looked at his wife's full and heavy breasts. At the moment, he actually envied his son. Hell, he was _jealous_ of his son, knowing that it'd be at least a _month_ until he could do anything like that. 

"Well _sorry_," Lily laughed. "But you _can _leave the room you know."

"But I don't wanna," he whined, causing Lily to roll her eyes at him. "You can be _so_ mature at times James Potter. You're what, 19 and you still whine?" she asked with laughing eyes. 

"So what? You don't want me to grow up, and you know it!" he laughed back. Lily shook her head at her husband and kissed Harry's forehead to keep him from falling asleep. 

James looked at his wife's revealed breasts wistfully before finding something to do in the room that could take his attention away from his feeding son, and what he was feeding on. 

_'This is going to be a **long** couple of months,_' he predicted as he shifted things around on the changing tables. 

~*~*~*~

**_Authors Note: _**

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I'm so sorry that it took me so long to get this out, but I have like seven different versions of this chapter, and I couldn't decide which one I wanted. 

I know that this is short, but I didn't know what else to write, so yea…sorry!

Well, I hope that you liked. And Baby Harry is in the world now!! Yay!

Review!!

Mistress del Mare 


	20. Family

Forever Yours 

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**_Chapter 20_**

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**_Family_**

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Two months had passed since Harry was born, and it was now September, and the trees started to change colors, indicating that fall was on its way.

Harry was one of those happy babies. The ones that laugh no matter what, and enjoy watching things. He was starting to sleep less and less, but still neverless slept through most of the day and night. He was so cute though! With his head full of jet black hair already, and his emerald green eyes that he obviously inherited from his mother, and his creamy white skin. He was so _adorable_. 

Lily got used to the sensation of Harry breast-feeding, and of being a Mother. And honestly, she _loved_ the role. She loved looking down at her son while he slept, and watching his beautiful eyes roam the rooms looking at objects. She plain loved her child. And she spoiled him too. But what good mother doesn't spoil their baby when they're first born? Regardless of the two in the morning feedings, and all of the dipper changing's, Lily enjoyed being home all day taking care of him. And when he cried, she got a joy out of just holding him and singing softly to him. She loved her role as a Mother. She was _meant_ to be a Mother. 

 And James doted on Harry endlessly. And after a few days, he got used to the sight of his son sucking on Lily's breast, and felt some kind of contentment for some reason. But everything was exactly how he wanted it in life. Lily was going to be going back to work in a couple of months, he had a wife whom he loved more than life its self, a healthy baby boy, and his best friend was about to have his first child too, and that'd give him a god son to look after too. Nothing could ruin his mood. 

~*~*~*~

James smiled as he mounted the stairs leading up to the master bedroom. They had taken to having Harry sleep in the bed with them so that they didn't have to get up in the odd hours of the morning to get him. 

James had just gotten off of work, and wanted to see his wife and child. 

"Lily?" James whispered as he inched the closed-door open and looked around their room. There, in front of the fire, lay Lily with Harry on her chest, his head pillowed on her breasts, and both of them were sleeping. James smiled as he slipped off his shoes so that he wouldn't make that much noise as he made his way over to his family. Bending, James picked Harry off of Lily slowly as to not wake the sleeping. After laying Harry in the middle of the bed, James rushed over to where Lily was laying asleep on the floor still and picked her up, cradling her against his chest as he walked over to her side of the bed and put her under the sheets. 

Lily sighed and snuggled into the warmth of the blankets before settling down again and reaching out to rest her arm over Harry's tummy. 

James smiled at the sight and stroked his wife's cheek lovingly as he looked at the picture that _his_ family made. It wasn't a family that he was born into, it was the family that he _made_. 

"James!" a voice yelled from the hallway, making James frown. _'Didn't people know that there was a baby in this house now?' _he wondered as he got off the bed and walked towards the door and opened it swiftly. 

"Sirius?" James whispered as he closed the door behind him just as swiftly. 

"James!" Sirius sighed with relief. "Thank God. Kayla. Labor." Was all he said before disapparating, leaving a bemused James in his wake. 

_Kayla? Labor? What does that mean?_ James wondered as he opened the bedroom door again, only to find a pair of sleepy emerald green eyes looking at him inquisitively. 

"Who was that?" Lily asked as she tried to cover up a yawn. Harry was taking a lot out of her lately. 

"Sirius," he said as he walked over to her side and gave her a quick kiss before sitting down on the edge of the bed. "He said something about Kayla and labor then left…" he trailed off as it began to click. 

"Labor!" The two yelled together before jumping off the bed. Lily slipped her shoes on, grabbed the baby bag that she kept nearby incase they had to hurry to get somewhere, and grabbed Harry off the bed. 

Lily and James took their wands out, and disapparated to St. Mungo's, Lily holding Harry.

"James! Lily! Thank God you're finally here!" Sirius praised as he walked towards them, out of the pale white waiting room. 

"They say that it's going to take a while until it's time, and Kayla is a little, how do I put this . . . mean, at the moment." Sirius explained as he continued his pacing of the room.

Lily walked over to a seat next to Aria and sat down, cradling a sleeping Harry in her arms still, and slipped the baby bag off of her shoulders and onto the floor next to her feet. "How long have you guys been here?" Lily asked Aria as she settled back into the plush cushions of the gray chair that she was sitting in.

"We got here a couple of minutes before you did," Aria's melodic voice whispered, scared that she would wake up Harry. "How's little one here doing?" she whispered just as softly as she took a peak at the baby wrapped in a baby blue blanket. 

"He's been sleeping less, and tries to gain control of his limbs more often than not. But he's been really good on when he wakes up during the nights," Lily explained with a smile as she gazed down at her son. 

"Wow. Isn't that a little advanced for a two month year old?" Aria asked Lily as she settled back into her seat and watched Sirius pace the floor along with James and Remus in amusement. This is exactly what had happened when Lily was in the hospital with Harry on the way. The three of them pacing the confined space of the maternity waiting room worrying. 

"I honestly don't know," Lily stated as she two looked over at the men. "Shouldn't someone be in the room with Kayla?" Lily scolded with a glare in their direction. 

"I tried!" Sirius cried indigantely as he crossed his arms over his chest, and looked at Lily. "But she told me that if I didn't get out of the room she was going to curse me something bad!"

Lily shook her head sadly and stood up. "Here. Will you watch him?" she asked Aria.

The blonde nodded her head and took the small bundle out of Lily's hands and cradled him to her chest. 

"If he wakes up and needs food, I have a couple of bottles in the bag for him, and dippers also if he needs changing. But I'd just give him to James if that's the case," she winked as she walked out of the room after demanding the room number that Kayla was in.

"Hey there Pouncy," Lily greeted as she entered the plain room and shut the door behind her. 

"Lily," Kayla sighed in relief. "How in all hell did you do this? I'm fucking terrified!" she groaned as she laid back down on the bed. "And I'm starting to get twitchy." 

Lily laughed and kissed Kayla on the forehead. "It'll get worse, then it'll get better. And I honestly don't know how I did it," she smiled as she sat on the edge of the bed. 

"Thanks for making me feel _so_ much better Lils," Kayla remarked sarcastically. 

"You're welcome. Now, why don't I get Sirius in here. I'm sure that he'll put you at more ease than I will."

"Okay," Kayla sighed. "But I don't see how that'll happen. He's more panicked about this than I am!" she laughed.

Lily shook her head and with a kiss on Kayla's cheek left the room to order Sirius back to his wife. 

"Were you guys acting like this while _I_ was in labor?" Lily asked, amused by their pacing and fretting. 

"Yeah, they were. Except James was with you and Sirius was out here worrying. It's amusing, isn't it?" Aria laughed.

"It really is though!" Lily laughed quietly as she rocked Harry in her arms. _'He just looked so cute when he was sleeping!'_ Lily thought as she gazed down at him happily. Who knew that she would ever feel this content. 

"Hey," James whispered as he sat down next to her. 

"Hi," Lily smiled as she handed over Harry. "He's about to wake up," she told him as she bent down to get a bottle out of the dipper bag. "Since magic isn't allowed in the waiting room I'm going to go find a place to warm this up okay?" 

James nodded his head absently and hummed quietly, hoping to keep Harry asleep until Lily came back with the heated up bottle. 

~*~*~

Lily walked outside of the hospital and took a deep breath. It felt good to be out of the stuffiness of that waiting room. It was fairly empty outside, and Lily was grateful for it. She could only spot four people lounging around the outside perimeter. One was sitting on one of the benches that were around the various trees, another was sitting on the curb close to the door that led inside, the other was pacing on the sidewalk anxiously, and the last one was a man who was simply leaning against the wall of the building.  

Lily took another deep breath and after a quick look around to make sure that no one was watching, Lily heated up the bottle without using her wand. Lily smiled as she felt the familiar tingle go through her arms and escape out of her fingers. She missed doing that. While she had been pregnant with Harry, she had refused to allow herself to do any wandless magic, and she missed the sensation of having so much power flowing freely through her veins. 

Just as she turned to go back into the hospital, the man who was leaning against the wall pushed himself away from it and made his way towards her. Lily paid no attention to him and headed towards the door. 

"Your first test awaits. Fire, Water, and Air must combine or you will fail," the man said as he passed by her. 

Lily, startled by what the man said turned around sharply, trying to find the man, but he had disappeared. He had disappeared without disapparating, because Lily was sure that there was no pop indicating that he did so. 

Lily rolled her shoulders and breathed in deeply, shrugging off what the man had said. 

~*~*~*~

"What's wrong baby?" James asked as he saw Lily's face when she sat down next to him and handed him the bottle to feed Harry, who was now awake. 

"Nothing. Just something I need to figure out," Lily replied as she leaned against the cushions of her chair. 

"Okay," he said with a frown before giving Harry the bottle. 

~*~*~*~

After eight hours of labor, Kayla brought a baby girl to the world, and she and Sirius happily named her Hermione. She was a beautiful little thing. 

Kayla took joy in holding her and feeding her, and caring for her. Doing everything for her child that her own parents didn't do for her. She would always be the Mother that hers wasn't. Hell, her own mother hadn't even been there while she was giving birth to Hermione! 

September faded into October, and Lily went back to work, but she got the little cases, instead of big ones due to her wandering mind. She couldn't get what that man said to her out of her head. _'You're test awaits,' _What did that mean? What was going to happen? Was the prophecy about to begin? 

All these questions and more kept circulating through Lily's mind, driving her nuts. She didn't want to tell anyone about the man, she was scared to. She didn't want to put the weight on anyone else either. She knew that the test would involve all six of them, but what did '_Fire, Water, and Air must combine,'_ mean? What did they have to do? When did they have to do it? This was all so confusing. 

Lily would go home every night, spend time with her son, who now loved to look at everything, and get into anything, sing him to sleep, and then spend some time with her husband if he got home before she fell asleep. Which was becoming less frequent. 

Voldemort was becoming more active, and James would be called into the office at odd hours of the morning to look into something. One thing that Lily was grateful for was the fact that he wasn't out there fighting the Death Eaters as they called themselves. He was just out there to try to figure out where they'd end up next, and if there was anything that the department could do to stop the next attack. There never was though. 

Lily knew that Kayla feared for Sirius when he was called out. She knew that Kayla always wondered if she'd ever see her husband again. And it was driving her insane. She didn't want to see any of her friends so confused, helpless, and worried about one another. But she knew that there was only one thing for her to do. And that was to stay one step ahead of Voldemort. And that meant figuring out the prophecy. Because she was now sure that Voldemort was the darkness that they were talking about. And she now knew that they would have to over come his power.

~~*~*~*~

**_Authors Note:_**__

_I know that this is short, but if I was to put anymore stuff in this chapter I think that I would have confused you guys . . . cuz I was confused when I was writing this… so if this makes no sense, tell me okay? _

_Well, I hope that you liked this chapter! Review and tell!!_

_Always,_

_Mistress del Mare_


	21. The Test

Forever Yours 

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Chapter 21 

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**_The Test_**

****

By the time Christmas came, everyone had gotten used to their new lives. Lily and James still doted on Harry and Hermione, as did everyone else. The babies were a part of them now. They were a part of the group. 

It was two days before Christmas, and everyone – meaning Kayla, Sirius, Aria, Remus, James, Lily and the babies – were sitting in the parlor of Sirius and Kayla's two storied brick house talking about anything and everything while five month old Harry and three month old Hermione slept cuddled together on a chair with wards around it so that they wouldn't fall off. 

"They're so _cute_!" Aria squealed as she watched the babies cuddle with one another. 

Kayla and Lily just looked at each other with amused expressions. They both already had a feeling that their first-born children would end up more than friends. 

"I still feel like it's totally unfair that Hermione gets Sirius's eyes. I really wanted her to have mine," Kayla sighed as she leaned her back on the coffee table that sat in front of the chair that the sleeping babies were in. 

Across the room, sitting on the couch was James and Sirius while Remus was in the red chair across from them, discussing Quidditch like there was no tomorrow. 

"What is it with guys and their fascination with talking about Quidditch?" Lily asked as they looked over at spouses. (Except for Aria, who was looking at her fiancé.)

"I don't know," Kayla frowned. "I mean you and I were on the team, and you don't see _us_ talking about it constantly, do you?" 

"Exactly." Lily nodded in agreement. 

"It's one of those guy quirks that never leave their limited brains," Aria laughed as she looked away from the group of guys. 

Kayla and Lily looked at Aria for a few seconds before they joined in on the laughter. 

"Hey! You three over there! What's so funny?" Sirius called out as the guys paused their discussion, being the nosey people that they are. 

"None of your business, Dog breath," Kayla called back.

"'Dog breath'?" James laughed as he clapped his best friend on the shoulder. "Way to go Sirius. You must have done _something_ right to be having your wife call you 'Dog breath'."

"Shut up, James," Sirius replied, trying to get rid of the blush that rode high on his cheeks. 

"How in the world did you come up with that name?" Lily asked Kayla with a raised eyebrow. 

"One night a couple of months ago – it was a couple of weeks after I had Hermione here – Sirius comes in the room in his dog form, jumps on the bed and starts panting right over my face. I was asleep, but I wake up once I catch the smell of his breath. I guess that while I was opening my eyes that he transformed, so instead of seeing him in dog form, I saw him in human form. I frowned and looked around for a dog, but I didn't see one, so I look at Sirius and ask him if there's a dog in the room. He shakes his head, and I just look at him and tell him, '_Then I guess you better brush your teeth, because your breath smells like a dogs.'_ And that's about it," Kayla laughed at the memory. 

"You just _had_ to tell them that, didn't you?" Sirius grumbled as everyone in the room laughed. 

"It's just, that sounds so much like you, that I can _imagine_ you doing that!" Lily managed to say before she started to laugh again. 

"Well, gee, thanks you guys!" he drawled sarcastically. 

"You are very much welcome," Remus retorted.

Sirius crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the cushions of the couch, waiting for everyone to stop laughing at him.  

It took a few minutes, but sooner or later everyone calmed down. 

"Are you all finished yet?" he asked with a glare.

Kayla smiled and got up from her place on the floor and walked over to him. "I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean to embarrass you," Kayla said as she straddled his hips and linked her arms around his neck. 

"Sure you didn't," Sirius smiled as he settled his hands on her waist and brought his mouth down to hers for a kiss.

The rest of the people in the room ignored the couple, too used to _one_ of the couples in the group making out to take any notice. 

"It's hard to believe that Christmas is so close again," Lily sighed as she laid down on the floor and looked up at the white ceiling. 

"I know. It seems like we just passed the holidays," Aria said. 

"You know, I was just thinking about something," James informed them. 

"We'll make sure to mark this wondrous event on the calendar at home, honey," Lily snickered. 

"Ha, ha, funny Lils," James shot back. "But really. I just thought of something. Here we are, barely twenty, four of us are married and have a child, and the other two are about to get married. Don't you think that we jumped into all of this fast?" 

"Wow. When you put it like that you make us sound like we're deprived," Lily frowned as she sat up and looked at her husband. 

"I didn't mean it like that, I just –" James stopped. 

"Do you feel that?" Aria whispered as she looked around the room frantically. 

The room had suddenly gotten cold. Really cold. But the fire was still blazing. 

All the adults in the room got up on their feet and tried to figure out what had happened. 

"Shit!" Lily muttered, hoping not to be heard. Unfortunately, James _was_ close enough to hear. "What?" he asked her. "Uh. I think that this is the first part of the prophecy. Our test." Lily answered sheepishly.

The five remaining adults looked at her with identical looks of shock. "How the hell did you know!" Kayla screamed. 

"Uh. I got warned – sorta- kinda when you were in labor."

"And you haven't deemed yourself to tell us?" James yelled in outrage. 

Lily shook her head mutely, knowing that she did something wrong. 

"Well, do you know what we're supposed to do?" Aria sighed, disappointed in her friend for the first time. '_She should have told us,_' Aria thought with a shake of her head. 

"No," Lily whispered. 

Just then, there was a loud _swoosh!,_ and everyone was transported to some kind of field. Or so they thought. 

"What the hell is this?" Sirius voiced as he began turning in circles. 

"The babies!" Lily realized with a quickly and started to fret. 

"They're safe," a new, unfamiliar voice sounded from behind her. 

Lily turned around quickly and faced the stranger with a look that only a Mom could manage when she's scared about her child and someone knows something about the said baby but isn't telling. "Now listen here, you – you! – I don't care what this is about. But if my son has one tiny-" she screamed and held up her finger to show how tiny – not even enough space in between her fingers for a spot of dust to get through – she meant, "molecule of his body harmed I will personally hunt your big, scary ass down and kill you very slowly and very painfully, got that?" she huffed. 

This . . . thing, in the white robe and shadowed face laughed. _Laughed!_

"I assure you Mrs. Potter, that your son will remained unharmed. As will yours Mrs. Black," the thing added hastily upon seeing Kayla's dark look and the opening of her mouth.

Kayla huffed, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at the thing that was standing in front of them all. 

"Why are we here?" Remus and James asked at the same time.

"You all are here as the elements: Air, Water, and Fire – together you all make up the element Earth. But you are being put to test. We are to see if you all have the courage, hearts, and determination to stay as a unit when it is most needed of you," the thing with the shadowed face told them in his/her melodic voice. 

"What will we be doing?" Aria asked as she tried to make out some kind of features on the man's face. 

"You will be fighting to stay as one," the thing said before clapping his hands twice. 

As soon as the sound of the second clap faded away, Lily, Kayla, and Aria found themselves transported again. This time it was to a beach. 

"Where's the guys?" Aria asked hesitantly, not knowing if she wanted to know the answer.

"_'You will be fighting to stay as one,'_" Lily repeated. 

"You mean we have to _find_ them?" Kayla asked in astonishment. 

"How the hell are we going to do that?" Aria cried out furiously as she began to pace on across the sand. "We don't even know where the _hell we **are**!"_

"Whoa, calm down there, Aria," Lily blinked in surprise. She's never seen an outburst like that from Aria before. 

"How are we going to find them?" Aria questioned.

"Well, I guess we just start by doing some kind of spells?" Kayla frowned. 

"Might as well try," Lily sighed. She had a feeling that this was going to be taking a _long_ time. 

!*!*!*!*!*!

"Lily!" James yelled as he saw his wife disappear. 

"Kayla!" came Sirius's cry as she too disappeared.

"Aria!" Remus's cry echoed. 

"Where the hell did you take them you –" James started as he turned to look at the guy in the white robe. But he was no longer there. "Where the hell did he go?" he yelled as he turned in a quick circle. 

"Great." Sirius muttered. "Our women are gone, James and I have children that are home alone, and we _don't know where the hell we are!_" 

"And not to mention that we have to _find_ the girls," Remus said as he began to tredge through the grassy field. 

"Wait! What do you mean '_And not to mention that we have to **find** the girls,'_?" James asked as he caught up with Remus. 

"Just that. That person – thing – said '_You have to fight to stay as one,'_" Remus explained. 

"I thought that he meant something else," Sirius muttered as he came up to them. 

"So, how do we know that we're heading in the right direction?" James asked after they had walked for what seemed like ten minutes. 

"We don't. I just guessed. But it makes more sense that they'd send the girls to somewhere where the water is, don't you think?" Remus answered.

"Yes." James nodded. "No, actually. It doesn't. Why would they be near water?" 

"Don't you _read?_" Remus asked in exasperation.

"Not if I can avoid it, no," James replied nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders. 

Remus shook his head and muttered something that James didn't quite catch, then raised his voice to explain. "Lily and Kayla just had a baby each, am I correct?" 

James and Sirius shot him a look that said '_No, you think?'_.

"Well, Lily and Kayla's powers will be a little weak due to the power that they transferred into Harry and Hermione's body as they were born. Meaning that both Kayla and Lily's body aren't holding as much power as they usually do, and if they have to face something big, they'd be in trouble. If Lily or Kayla try to defeat the thing, it'd drain them both of nearly all of their magic, and they'd be weak. So therefore, Lily needed to be transported to something around water, and Kayla could find fire nearly anywhere," Remus explained as they continued on to God knows where. 

"Oh," Sirius and James muttered. 

"Well, how do you know which way the water is?" Sirius asked.

"Scent. And . . . James, tell me, can you feel the magical pull of water from this direction?" Remus asked as he paused. 

James concentrated and used the easiest method that Lily had taught him to feel the pull of water. And there it was, in the back of his mind, pulling his body towards the direction that they were headed in. James opened his eyes and nodded his head before continuing on his way, Sirius and Remus following a step behind. 

!*!*!*!

 "My body's absorbing the water," Lily observed as she watched the water from the tide turn a bright blue light, drift up off the earth and soak into various parts of Lily's body. 

"Now all we have to do is find some fire for Kayla," Aria replied. 

"Yep!" Kayla sounded. 

Lily shook her head at her best friend and closed her eyes and concentrated on figuring out how much power she was absorbing like James cautioned her to do whenever absorbing any sort of power. When she felt that she had enough, she opened her eyes and stepped out of the surf. 

"Right. Let's go and see if we can find any," Lily said as she began walking in one of the directions. 

"Wait. I just thought of something," Aria said. "What if you and I – Lily, create a fire? Would that work?" 

Lily thought about it for a few seconds before nodding her head. No book said anything about it having to be found or something like that. 

Within a minute, Lily and Aria had set up a fire, and Kayla was absorbing the bright red cloud.

"Now," Lily said as she clapped her hands together after Kayla finished. "Which way do we go?" 

"Uhh . . ." Aria deadpanned. 

"Great!" Kayla muttered sarcastically. 

"Why don't you try to – Holy Mother of God!" Lily screamed as she saw the ocean form a tunnel that shot, at an estimate, five miles into the air. 

"What are you – We're going to die," Kayla whispered, shocked as she looked at the water, which now had a ring of fire running around the tunnel in spirals. 

"Help," Aria squeaked as the looked at the now moving – with raging winds – tunnel. 

"How in hell are we supposed to stop _this?_" Kayla screamed as the girls stumbled back, away from the shore. 

"I don't know!" Lily cried. 

"You're the one whose supposed to know everything about our powers! And now you're telling me that you _don't know how to get rid of this **thing**_**!**" Kayla screamed frantically as the moving tunnel of water, air, and fire sped towards them. 

!*!*!*!

"What is that?" James asked as he squinted and looked towards the horizon. He could have sworn that he saw a mass of water shoot up in the air.

"What's, what?" Sirius panted after having climbing the steep hill that they just conquered. 

"That," James said, pointing at the mysterious mass that was just joined with what looked like fire. 

"I do believe that that is where we are going to find our girls," Remus gasped, trying to get air in his lungs after that hike. 

**_"James, help,_**_" _Lily's voice sounded in James's head, causing him to frown. _'How'd she do that?'_ he wondered. 

**_"It's my engagement ring James."_**

****

****

****

_'Where are you? Are you okay?' _he wondered as he began to sprint toward the thing that he saw shoot up into the air. 

**_"You know where I am. But I'm not strong enough without you to get pass the 'Cloud of the Elements', as they call it,"_ **she sounded again. 

_'Don't worry baby, I'll be there for you. I promise.'_

!!**

**_"Sirius, get your ass down here!"_** Kayla's voice screamed inside of Sirius's head. 

_'No need to scream, Kay dear,'_ Sirius thought sarcastically as he picked up his pace upon hearing the hysterics that was in his wife's voice. 

**_"I need you,"_ **was all the voice said before Sirius felt it go away. 

"Shit!" Sirius screamed. _What happened to her? _He wondered as he caught up with James. They were just a few yards away. 

!!**

"What do we do? What do we do? What do we _do?_" Lily yelled as she felt the air begin to pull her towards the 'Cloud'. 

"**_Lily!_**" James screamed as he saw her on the beach. 

Immediately, Lily ran over to him and grasped his hand. 

Together, as a unit, Lily and James started to speak the words that were clouding their minds, waiting to be spoken. _"Sono acqua ed è me. Obbedisca al mio ordine e cedi alla nostra voce. Li controlliamo, noi siamo voi. Obbedisca e cedi, dato che siamo voi." _[1] Just then, the mass of water stopped, and simply stayed still, waiting for Lily and James to command it. 

Sirius and Kayla were next, and they stood next to each other, holding hands and looking at the still moving mass of fire and air. Together, they raised their voices and called out, "_Sono fuoco ed è me. Obbedisca al mio ordine e cedi alla nostra voce. Li controlliamo, noi siamo voi. Obbedisca e cedi, dato che siamo voi." [2]_ And like Lily's and James's element, the fire stopped and awaited for its command. 

Aria and Remus looked at each other and nodded,  resigned. Clasping one another's hand, they faced the raging wind and took deep breaths. "_Sono aria ed è me. Obbedisca al mio ordine e cedi alla nostra voce. Li controlliamo, noi siamo voi. Obbedisca e cedi, dato che siamo voi,'' [3]_ they called out in clear voices. 

As soon as they finished the last syllable, everything turned peaceful. 

Lily looked at James, and shook her head. "This seems too simple," she said. 

The others nodded their agreement and searched the beach wryly. Something seemed . . ._off._

"Lillian Evans – Potter, I know what you miss, and I can give it to you," an eerie voice called out into the night. 

Lily frowned and looked around. No one was there. "Who are you? And what do you assume that I want?" 

"I am you. And I know that you want your Father and Sister back. With a word, I can give them back to you. If you promise me your devotion." The voice sounded again, causing shivers to run down Lily's back. 

"I don't even know who you _are_," she snapped back. 

"I am the one you fear. The one who rules your life. I am Lord Voldemort," The eerie voice said again. 

Lily's eyes sharpened, and James tightened his hold on her hand. 

"I do not fear you," Lily yelled.

"But you do want your family, don't you Lily? Your sister, your father. I can give them to you," Voldemort goaded, not coming from his hiding place, where ever it was. 

Just then, images of two children – twins – with red hair and willowy figures was in front of Lily. The girls – Lily and Cammy – were running towards a cliff. 

Lily gasped as she saw this. This was the day that Cammy died! 

"No," Lily whispered hoarsely. She didn't want to see this. Living through this once was enough for her. 

"Yes, make your decision Lily. Your husband and friends, or your sister and Father?" the voice taunted. 

"I'll never be apart of your _useless, feeble_ group of followers so that you can rule the world! Never!" she screamed and watched helplessly as a man stepped from the shadows in the image of her and her sister and broke the cliff away, causing Cammy to fall to her death. 

"You. _You killed my **sister!**_" Lily realized with a flash. 

"Yes, I did," a deep, grating chuckled sounded. 

"I'll be seeing you all soon!" Voldemort predicted.

"What the hell?" Sirius asked, moments before they were all transported back to his and Kayla's house. 

"Harry!" Lily screamed as she heard a wail from behind her and rushed over to her son. 

"Shh, baby. It's okay. Mommy's here now," she cooed and rocked him. 

James stepped up behind Lily and looked down at his son. "Hush, Lil' Man. Everything's okay now. I promise," he soothed as he brushed a finger down his sons cheek. 

"What do we do now?" Aria asked as she slumped into the cushions of the couch tiredly. 

"There's nothing _to_ do." Lily sighed and looked down at her now sleeping son. "But I know that I'm going to go see Dumbledore sometime within the next few months. He'll know what this was all about. Hopefully." She informed them. 

"So we all go home?" Remus asked as he pulled Aria up gently. 

"It's the only thing that we have to do," James sighed and walked over to the corner where Harry's baby bag was. 

With promises to be safe and visit each other again tomorrow, everyone went their own ways, trying to figure out what the next step was. 

!*!*!*!*!

**_Authors Note:_**

****

_Hey you all! Okay, this is actually very long, and you didn't have to wait that long for it! Aren't you all proud of me? Well, you should be! _

_Okay, if any of this is a little confusing to you, you can either email me at Mymonkeygurl21@aol.com, IM me for aol on the screen name Mymonkeygurl21, or leave your questions in a review, and I'll be happy to answer any of your questions. _

_Okay, and the parts in a different language are right here, and just so you know, they aren't in Latin like I wanted them to be because I could find a Latin translator. Even though I didn't look that hard, so this is in Italian, which is a lot easier for me. _

_Here are the translations for you:_

[1] I am Water, and it is me. Obey to my command and surrender to our voice. We control you, we are you. Obey and surrender, for we are you.

[2] I am Fire, and it is me. Obey to my command and surrender to our voice. We control you, we are you. Obey and surrender, for we are you.

[3] I am Air, and it is me. Obey to my command and surrender to our voice. We control you, we are you. Obey and surrender, for we are you.

_Hope you liked this chapter! _

REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!! 

****

**_Mistress del Mare_**


	22. Hogwarts

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Forever Yours 

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**_Chapter 22_**

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**_Hogwarts_**

****

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and still there was no sign of another test. And to be honest, everyone was glad. Everything in the magical world was in upheaval. Seems like since their test, Voldemort had been getting more vicious with his attacks. Death Eater raids happened daily, and muggle torturing was a frequent 'amusement' for the Death Eaters, which resulted in the never-ending activity within the walls of the British Ministry of Magic. 

Lily had quit her job a few months ago – a month after the test – and decided to be a housewife. Within the few months that she worked after having Harry, she found that she couldn't. She didn't like the feeling of leaving her son with someone else so early in his life. And it wasn't as if James didn't make enough money to support them. 

Harry's birthday came, and Lily was shocked. It'd already been a year since she gave birth to her son. For some reason, it just didn't seem like it had been that long already. 

By the time Harry's birthday came, he could walk on his own – although it wasn't great distances. He could say 'Mama', 'Dada', 'Siri', 'Nonna', 'Papa', 'No' – which every kid seems to learn at an early age – 'Up', and 'Please'. 

And he was a spoiled little boy too. He had enough toys to fill up his own toyshop, and somehow, in his one-year-old mind, knew how to play his parents to get what he wanted. 

He now had a full head of hair, and to Lily's amusement, it was exactly like his Fathers. Jet black and messy. And his eyes were the same exact shade as Lily's were. It was sort of spooky to look into them, and see her own reflected back at her. But he was also tall for his age, already reaching a little bit past Lily's kneecaps. 

And he _loved_ absolutely **_loved_** to get into trouble. Any kind of trouble at all. Lily had a feeling that she and James were going to be paid back ten fold for all of the terror that they caused on their parents. She wouldn't be surprised to say the least. 

~*~

"When are you going to visit Dumbledore?" Kayla asked Lily one morning as they walked around Diagon Ally with their children latched on their hips. 

Hermione inherited Sirius' chocolate brown hair, but her eyes were a little bit lighter than Sirius' chocolate ones, looking more like a honey color. And she had gotten bit too. At one, you could already see that she'd grow up to break the hearts of boys everywhere. And Lily knew with a weird sense of finality that she'd have her Mother's curves, and sensuality, while she had her Fathers sense of humor. 

"I don't know. Every time I plan to do so, I end up forgetting to go. But I do know that I really need to go and ask Dumbledore about that test, even though it's already been three-four months," Lily sighed as she gazed into the windows of the shops. 

"If you want, I'll watch Harry," Kayla offered. She too had decided to give up her job in order to take care of her daughter. Although she missed the action, and doing things that didn't require cleaning and cooking, Kayla knew that, she wouldn't give up what she did for anything. She was a part of her daughter's life, and that is how she wanted it. She didn't want her daughter to know her as well as Kayla herself knew _her_ parents – not at all. 

"No, I think that I'll take him. Dumbledore always loved children," Lily smiled remembering how he used to always play and tell her stories when he'd visit her father during the summers. 

Kayla nodded, grabbed Lily's arm, and dragged her into a clothes store. "I need more clothes. I'm finally losing all of the weight I gained from having this one here. Unlike you who lost it all within a month or two," Kayla scowled. 

Lily laughed. "I know, don't you just hate me?"

"Actually, since you ask, yes, I do," Kayla sniffed before laughing. 

Lily shook her head and laughed as her friend looked for her clothes. 

~*~

Three weeks later, James, Lily, and Harry all stood outside of, the towering stone castle gazing up at the battlements and many, many towers. 

"God I missed this place," Lily commented as she turned in a circle, getting a full look of the Forbidden Forest, the Lake, and the Giant Squid, who happened to be playing around with some of the kids on the shore at the moment, and the castle itself. 

"I know me too," James agreed as he looked at the place that he had called for seven years of his teen life. "Almost all of our memories were made in this place," he said as he grabbed her hand with one of his, and hitched Harry further up on his side. 

"Dada!" Harry squealed as he was jiggled. 

James looked down at his son and laughed. "Harry!" 

"Dada!" Harry screamed back, giggling. 

"You two are two of a kind," Lily laughed as she watched her son and husband interact. James absolutely doted on Harry, and it was sweet to watch. You could tell just by the look in James' eyes that he loved his son just as much as he loved Lily. Meaning with everything that was in his body. 

"Hey! Thank you." James smiled. 

Lily rolled her eyes and began walking up the familiar steps towards the Main Entrance of the castle. "Never change, baby. Never change," Lily smiled and looked over at him. 

"You couldn't do so if you tried," James told her with a fake solemn face. 

"Dork."

"Beautiful."

"Idiot."

"Intelligent."

"Clown."

"The Love of my Life," James shot back with a smile, knowing that he just won. 

"And you're lucky for that too," Lily retorted with a smile. 

As they reached the front doors, they opened, revealing a corridor that would lead to the Great Hall. 

"Lets see. If I remember correct, it's lunch time right now," Lily calculated as she glanced down at her watch and mounted what looked like miles of stairs. 

"Food!" James exclaimed in excitement. 

"You and your food," Lily teased. 

"Hey! I happen to eat very little food. Sometimes," he amended when he saw his wife's look. "Alright, once in the while," he tried again. "Okay! Okay! I always eat a tower of food!" he admitted.

"I know you do. I have the pleasure of cooking those towers of food that you're talking about," Lily reminded him and opened the doors of the Great Hall with a smile. 

"Lily! James!" were some of the cries from the third years up who remembered them from when they attended Hogwarts. Lily laughed and waved, heading towards the Head Table. 

James trailed behind his wife, and stopped every now and then to talk to someone that he knew. 

"James," Lily called out with amusement in her voice. He loved to talk to people, you had to hand him that. 

"Oops," was the sheepish reply. 

"He's hot!" a few of the girls started to whisper, causing Lily to laugh. 

"Look at this James. You don't even go here anymore and you _still_ have admirers!" she teased. 

"What can I say? I'm good." 

"Sure you are," Lily deadpanned before turning to Professor Dumbledore. "Can we talk to you when you have the time, Sir?" 

"As long as I get to hold little Harry there," the Headmaster agreed with a nod towards Harry. 

"Of course!" Lily chirped. She had missed her old Headmaster she realized with a jolt. His twinkling blue eyes, his humor, his wit, and to be honest, she missed talking about how she accomplished her pranks with him too. 

"Very well. Head up to my office. I assume that you know where it is still? You and your husband after all have been there more than anyone else that I can think of," he smiled.

"I still know this castle like the back of my hand Sir," James said with pride. 

"And now I'd expect him to turn over his hand and ask 'what's this?'," Lily stage whispered to a chuckling Headmaster. 

"Hey!" James shouted in resentment. 

"What?" Lily turned around with a coy smile.

"You're mean!" he pouted. 

"Thank you." 

"I missed having you guys here," Professor Dumbledore laughed. "The password is Lemon Blue."

Lily nodded her head and turned towards the door. 

"Oh! It's nice to see you again Minnie!" James said before chasing after his wife, leaving a red Professor McGonagall in his midst. 

"I thought that we got rid of them two years ago!" Most of the professors groaned as they watched the Great Hall door wryly, expecting the rest of the group to barge through the door. 

"Apparently not," Professor McGonagall groaned and was tempted to bang her head on the table. James Potter and Lily Evans – now Potter. Back at Hogwarts. She could only imagine the trouble that they'd cause while here. And then the next generation of Potters! God help them all.

~*~

Lily sat down in the familiar mahogany, blue and silver office and gazed around. It was hard to believe that she hadn't been in this office for close to two years. If she had still been in school, she would have been in here at least seven times by now. And it was only October! 

"Harry, don't touch!" Lily reprimanded as he went for one of the containers in one of the shelves that Dumbledore left open. 

Surprisingly enough, he actually stopped. Lily blinked in surprise. He had _stopped!_

Just then, she saw James get up and walk over to him and mutter something beneath his breath and realized that he had used a spell on him. _So much for the miracle!_ Lily thought with a shake of her head. 

"Ahh . . . such an energetic little one you have there," the smooth tones of Dumbledore's voice sounded from behind Lily as he entered his office. 

"You can say that one again," Lily muttered. 

James picked Harry up, brought him over to Dumbledore, and situated him in the elder mans' lap. 

"Wadapadbapapa!" Harry spoke as he flailed his arms, and then tucked his thumb in his mouth haughtily.  

Dumbledore laughed and looked up from the child to its parents. 

"What's wrong?" He asked as he bounced Harry on his knee. 

"Well, you see, we sort of went through this test – " Lily begun, only to make James take over the rest of the story. 

Dumbledore sat in his chair, looking at Harry and making faces at him, all the while nodding at what James was saying. '_How can this man do so many things at once?'_ Lily wondered.

"- and we just wanted to know what you thought about all of this," James finished with a gust of breath. 

Dumbledore looked up from Harry and sighed. "What you guys went through is a testing of your loyalty to one another. You Lily," he said with a nod in her direction, "was given the chance to have everything in your life that you had ever wanted. Everyone that you love still alive. And yet, you refused, knowing that he'd set you against your friends and family. This test was a test to determine if you all are strong enough to fulfill the Prophecy. If you had not been, you all would have been dead," he explained calmly. 

"So you're saying that that was the only test that we will receive?" Lily asked. 

"Yes, it is. The next time something like that happens, you'll be fighting to save lives," Dumbledore sighed. He was starting to feel his age. At 124, he wasn't a young wizard anymore.

"So you mean that something is going to happen?" James questioned. 

The older wizard nodded his head sadly. "Yes. The fate of the rest of the world will lie in your hands. The six of you must defeat it.

"As you know, Lord Voldemort is gaining power, and gaining it fast. I do believe that he is after you six, and your families," Dumbledore admitted. 

"W-What do we do?" Lily asked after a stunned silence. 

"I suggest that you find a secret keeper. But in the end, it might not be the smartest thing to do. Some believe that the power within a baby is more powerful than a full-grown wizard. But the decision is yours to make Mrs. Potter."

Lily thought about it for a few minutes. "We'll think about everything, if that is okay with you, and get back to you as soon as possible," she said. 

Dumbledore nodded his head. "If anything, little Harry could stay here with me," he offered with a smile as he gazed down at the now sleeping toddler. 

"We'll think about it, sir," Lily repeated. 

"Okay."

James then rose out of his chair and picked up his son, settling him in his arms. 

"It was a pleasure to see you again, Potters," Dumbledore smiled as he got up. 

"You to Professor," Lily said, returning the smile. "But if you don't mind, we need to get Harry home and put to bed."

"By all means," he said with a gesture to his fireplace. "Floo home."

Lily nodded and handed James some powder as he stepped into the fireplace. 

"It was nice seeing you again Professor!" Lily yelled as she began her journey through the Floo network.

"Let us only hope that we'll be able to see each other again in a couple of years in person, whether than at your grave," Dumbledore sighed after he knew that she could no longer hear. 

He was truly scared that two of his best, most inventive students were going to die before it was their time. 

~*~

**_Authors Notes:_**

Hello all! I'm sorry. I sort of deleted – or lost – one of them, the first version of this chapter. I must say that I liked that version better, but this the one that I could find. I'm sorry!

_I hope that you liked it. I know that it was sort of short, and all it was was mainly details, but it's needed for the next chapter, so it was mandatory that I get this up. _

_Tell me what you think! _

_Mistress del Mare_


	23. Secret Keeper

Forever Yours 

****

**_Chapter 23_**

****

**_Secret Keeper_**

****

"What are we going to do about this?" James asked his wife as they entered their house, bouncing Harry on his side. 

"I don't know," Lily sighed and ran a hand through her flowing red hair. "I mean – I don't know what I mean. I think that we need to tell the others though. They deserve to know what is going on with their friends, don't you think?" Lily asked as she glanced at her husband nervously. 

"Whoa. What's wrong Lils?" James asked as he came up behind Lily and hugged her to him. 

"Mama!" Harry squealed as he grabbed a fistful of Lily's hair.

"Ouch! Harry! What is it with you and your dad with my hair?" she asked as she began tugging on the strands of hair that her son had wrapped around his tiny fists and stuck in his mouth. "No, Harry. Let go of Mommy's hair. Please?" she begged as he pulled harder. "Mama!" was all Harry said before he began pumping his fists around wildly, taking Lily's hair with him. 

"Ouch! James if you don't stop laughing and help me get my hair out of his hand you'll be sleeping on the couch!" Lily fumed as she felt some of the strands of hair pull out of her scalp. 

"Alright, alright. No need to get your knickers in a twist," he muttered as he grabbed his sons hand and pried the tiny fingers apart. 

"There!" Lily smiled as she stepped back and looked at her son. "Now," she declared as she plucked him out of James' arms and held him up in front of her face. "Can you tell me why you and your father are so enthralled by my hair?" 

"Well, it smells good, and –" James started to say with a smirk.

"Erm, are we interrupting anything here?" Kayla asked with a smirk as she walked through the front door of Godric's Hollow holding Hermione.

"Nope!" Lily laughed and lowered Harry onto her hip, and immediately moved her hair out of his grasp. 

"Yes!" James said, just for the heck of it. 

Kayla ignored him and walked into the front parlor. "How'd your visit with Dumbledore go?" she asked as she laid Hermione down on the floor to crawl around. 

"Yeah, how _did_ that go?" Sirius asked as he walked in with his arms full of baby bags, and Aria and Remus following behind him. 

"Well, depends on how you look at it," Lily stalled. "Dumbledore played with Harry a bit – actually, he didn't even look at James or me until the very end. He explained that the test was just to see if we were strong enough to fulfill the prophecy, and that if we hadn't been that we all would have been dead," she listed as she sunk down into one of the white couches and looked Kayla in the eye. 

"And he also said that the 'fate of the world rests in our hands', and that we have a crazy bastard who wants to take over the world after us and our families. Nice to know, isn't it?" Lily asked sarcastically.

"_What?_" Kayla shrieked. 

"Yeah. He suggested that we get secret keepers," James added as he sat down next to his wife and pulled her closer to him, all the while keeping an eye on his son, trying to make sure that he didn't get into that much trouble. 

"James. I don't care about me, as long as my friends and family are safe," Sirius started, looking at his best friend somberly. "If you choose to get a secret keeper, I'll do it." 

"_Excuse me?_" Kayla yelled as she jumped up from where she was sitting and glared at her husband. "Don't you think that you should consult with me – _your **wife**_ first?" she yelled as she stabbed him in the chest with her finger. 

"Kayla," Lily whispered. She realized right then, that she didn't want a secret keeper for her family. At least not one that she cared about, and that had their own family. She couldn't do that. "If we so choose to have a secret keeper," Lily started as soon as Kayla swung her gaze over her way. _'Jesus. Her eyes are freaking shooting daggers!'_ Lily cringed. Kayla was _pissed_. "It's not going to be Sirius. It's not going to be anyone who has a family of their own to lose. But the truth is," Lily sighed as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back onto the couches cushions. "I don't know if I even _want _one. I mean, we have to fight this thing sometime. I'd rather have it done sooner or later, if you know what I mean."

  "Yea, I guess that I do get what you mean. But that doesn't mean that I'm done being mad at you Sirius Black!" she glared as she looked back at her husband. "_How **dare** you try to leave us – **your family**- what the hell were you thinking!_" she shouted, causing the babies to start shouting too. 

"Shush," Lily told the babies as she picked them up and led them over to where she was sitting. "Here," Lily said as she handed James Harry and bounced Hermione on her knee, trying to get her to stop shouting baby gibberish. 

"_I'm sorry Kayla! Damn! _I know that it was stupid. But I couldn't just sit there while my best friend was contemplating having a secret keeper! I didn't know what else to do! I _can't_ leave you and Hermione. I _can't_! You're my life! Both of you!" he screamed back, looking Kayla in the eye. 

"You are very stupid, did you know that?" Kayla sighed and crossed her arms under her breasts as she gazed at him with a frown on her face.

"Yes," Sirius laughed, "I get told that many times a day, thank you very much. I'm used to it." 

"I love you Sirius, but if you ever say something like that again, I won't hesitate to kill you. Got that?" she scowled. 

"Yes, I do." 

"Good."

With that, Kayla sat back down and looked over at Aria. "So, have you decided on a date for the wedding yet?" 

"Yes, actually we have." Aria blushed. 

"We want it to be a couple of days after a full moon, so we decided to have it on November 15. I know that that only gives us a month and a half, but I don't want a big wedding," she explained as she saw Lily's eyebrow fly up towards her hairline. "I never had wanted one of those. Just those who mean most to me there." 

"If you need any help, just come to Kayla and I. We'll help. It's not like we work or anything," Lily joked as she looked at her husband with a mock glare. 

"Hey! It's not like I forced you to quit your job, now is it?" he defended as he held his arms up in surrender. 

"Are you the one who got me pregnant?" Lily asked, enjoying messing with her husbands mind. Sometimes, he could be the most brilliant man on the face of the planet, but other times, Lily could swear that he had to be the dumbest. It seems like this was one of those times. 

"I should hope so. But by the look of Harry's here hair, I'd have to say so," he joked while he messed up Harry's already messy hair. 

"_What?_" Lily gaped at him. "You better _hope_ that you were kidding. Or I swear that you _will_ be dead," she growled. 

"Jeez, Lily! Learn how to take a joke!" James laughed, and then saw her face and immediately stopped. 

Lily scowled at him, then promptly smacked him upside the head, causing his glasses to slide down his nose. 

"Hrumph!" she sounded as she turned her face away from him. 

"Sorry! I was just kidding!" James tried to apologize. 

Lily faced him and stuck out her tongue. "Well, it wasn't funny!" she said before she sat Hermione down on the floor and walked towards the kitchen.

"Oops," James smiled sheepishly. He knew that he just screwed up big time.

"Well? Are you going to talk to her?" Aria demanded of him.

"Uhh –" James deadpanned. Did he really want to put up with a mad Lily. '_Nope, not while I'm alive and she can kill me,_' he thought as he stood up under the glares of Aria and Kayla and looked around for his wife timidly. '_She's really mad at you this time Potter,' _he scolded to himself. '_You just had to open your mouth, didn't you? You **know** how touchy Lily is!_' he continued to berate himself as he walked towards the kitchen. 

"Lily?" he called out before he opened the door that gave way to the maroon and white kitchen. And there she was, leaning over the sink, looking out of the window overlooking their backyard. 

"Lily?" he said again as he walked over towards her, his shoes clicking on the tiles loudly. 

"Why us James? Why does it seem like everything always happens to us? Why can't any one leave us alone?" she whispered brokenly. 

"I don't know, baby, I don't know," he sighed as he pulled her away from the sink and into his arms. 

"It's not fair!" she cried as she hung on to him with all that she was worth, not noticing the tears staining her cheeks. "Just as we begin to think that our lives are stable, and normal, _something happens!_" she sobbed as she buried her face in his shoulder and let the tears run. She was tired of living like this. Every time her life got a little better, something came and made it worse than what it was before. Why couldn't she be happy?

"Shush," James soothed. James laid his cheek on top of Lily's head, and rubbed her back softly, trying to get her tears to go away. He hated seeing his wife like this. But that might be because Lily always seemed so strong. Like she didn't need anyone. Like she never cried. It sort of brought one in a state of shock to see her cry. To see her helpless. 

"James," Lily hiccupped as her tears lessened. 

"Yes?" James whispered. It felt eerie in the kitchen. Like any loud sounds would cause a destruction of some sort. 

"I think," Lily sighed, and held on to James tighter. She really _really_ didn't want to tell James what she thought. This was the first time too. She _always_ wanted James to know what she thought. She _always_ wanted to share her thoughts with him. But not this time. _'How is he going to react to this? He is absolutely attached to Harry. Just as I am,'_ Lily thought. 

"Lily? What are you thinking about?" James asked as he continued to rub her back in soothing circles. 

Lily drew her head away from his shoulder and looked into the sapphire blue eyes that captured her heart and sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. "James," she started. 

"Yes?" James questioned as he searched her emerald eyes. She was stalling. He knew that. But why did she sound so uneasy? That's what he wanted to know. "What is it? You know that you can tell me anything, don't you Lils?" James asked as she turned her head away from him. 

"Lily?" James questioned, fear lacing into his voice as he turned her head towards him and caught her gaze once again. "You do know that you can tell me anything, don't you?" 

"Yes," Lily sighed. "But I'm scared to tell you this. I don't know what you're going to think of me for suggesting this. _I_ don't know how I feel for _thinking_ this, but I think that it's the right thing to do," she told him. '_Why is this so hard?_' she wondered. 

"Lily? Why don't you just say it? Sometimes, it's easier to just spit it all out," he told her with a smile, and leaned down to peck her lightly on the mouth. "Now, what is it?" 

"James, I think – I think that we should leave Harry with Dumbledore until all of this blows over." Lily said, saying the words so fast that they seemed to be one word. 

"Lily, slow down, honey," James laughed and hugged her body close to him. "Now, once again, but this time, not that fast," he instructed.

Lily took a deep breath and told him slower this time, "James, I think that we should leave Harry with Dumbledore until all of this is over with. I don't want him hurt. I'd rather have us dead than Harry. He's safer with Dumbledore. No one will touch him with Dumbledore around."

James stood there, leaning against the counter holding his wife, shocked. _'Did she just suggest that we leave our **son** with someone else, for God knows **how** long?_' he wondered. "Lil?" he managed to sputter. 

"I know. I couldn't believe that I even _considered_ it!" she exclaimed in frustration. "But I want Harry safe. And while Dumbledore can be . . . weird at times, he'll keep our son safe."

"You've made up your mind on this already, haven't you?" James questioned with a sigh. 

Lily nodded her head silently in answer, causing James to draw in a deep breath and shut his eyes. 

His son was going away. That was all that James could grasp. Harry was going to Hogwarts. And it was possible that he'd never see him again. 

"But Lily. What if something happens to us? What if we never see him again?" James asked, opening his eyes and looking into Lily's. 

"James, that's all the more reason to have him stay at Hogwarts! Do you honestly want your son to _die_?" Lily hissed as she pulled herself out of his embrace forcefully. 

"NO! Why the hell would I want to see my own son die Lily?! What kind of person do you take me for? I thought that you knew me better than that!" James screamed, and threw his hands up in the air in a wild gesture. 

"James, listen to yourself, would you? It seems like you care more about spending time with your son than his _safety_!" Lily yelled back. 

"I do not! I care more about his safety than – " He started, but then quickly stopped, realizing that he had made it sound like he wanted his son to die along with him if that was what happened. "Oh my God. I'm a terrible Father," James moaned as he slid down the cubbords and sat on the tiles of the floor with his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands.

Lily sighed and sat down next to him. "James, don't." she demanded as she went to hug him and he shrugged her off. 

"God Lily, how could I be that selfish?" James asked her, not looking up from the maroon tile that his gaze was fixed on. 

"James, don't beat yourself up, okay? You just wanted your son. And that's reasonable, I mean, we haven't been one night without him since I have birth to him. We're attached to Harry, and we both know it, but we _have_ to do what's right for him. What's in his best interest, and this is it unfortunately," she told him as he laid his forehead against her shoulder. 

"Can we at least have a few days with him?" James asked with a desperate note to his voice. He wasn't ready to be without his son yet. He'd do it for his safety, he just didn't want to say goodbye right now. He couldn't handle that. 

"No. I don't think that I could handle that so soon. He's my _baby_," Lily stressed almost frantically. The thought of being without her son, and him being so _far_ away, made her panic. 

"God, we're pathetic!" James laughed as he saw the panic stricken look on her face.

"I don't care!" Lily wailed. "He's my _baby!_" she repeated it as she scrambled up off the floor and began to pace. 

"This isn't going to work." Lily told him as she faced James with an anxious look in her eyes. 

James laughed and stood up, happy that he wasn't the only one who felt like having a nervous breakdown. "We need lives Lily. I mean . . . we're going insane over having the one wizard that we trust more than any other with our child!" 

Lily looked at James and managed a small smile. "It's going to feel empty around here without him," she admitted as she sat down at one of the kitchen chairs. 

"I know," James admitted as he sat across from her. "But we'll manage. Just like we did before he was here."

"What was it like before Harry came along?" Lily asked in all honesty. 

"Uhh. . . " James tried to think. 

"You're right, we really do need lives," Lily agreed with a shake of her head. 

~*~

Three days later, Lily and James were standing in front of Dumbledore's office door just staring at it. They really didn't want to walk in and give their son over to this man. No matter if they trusted him or not.

"Lily! James!" Dumbledore greeted happily as he opened the door and saw his past students standing there staring at nothing, with their son in the middle of them. "And 'Lil Harry!" he exclaimed with barely repressed glee. He absolutely_ adored_ children! He was close to giddy with the prospect of having one around him for a while. It had been so long since he'd had one around. 

"Okay, well, here's his things, you know what to do with them," Lily said as she handed over the shrunk box of toys, another of supplies, and another of dippers.  

Dumbledore took the objects and placed them on a nearby table and ushered James and Lily in. 

Lily and James walked over to the cushioned chairs and sat down. This was harder than they imagined. 

"Is there anything that I should know about him?" Dumbledore asked as he twined his fingers together and looked at the couple in front of him.

"Umm . . . he likes his food warmed up in the mornings, and cold in the nights. And he sleeps straight through nights now, and takes his nap around 1, and if he's fussy, just put a singing spell around him and he'll fall right asleep," Lily started.

"And he likes to climb on things, so be careful. And he likes anything that shimmers, so you might want to put those kind of things out of reach," James instructed with a smile. 

Dumbledore nodded his head and looked in between the young couple. He wished that he could assure himself that they'd be fine, that they'd end up coming out alive, but he didn't know for sure. He just hoped that they did, for Harry's sake. He needed a family. 

"And, that's really it. Besides for being a little trouble maker, he's practically well behaved," Lily sighed as she looked at her sleeping son. She really didn't want to leave him, but it was for his best interest. 

Dumbledore nodded his head, and watched as James got up and walked over to him with Harry snuggled up on his shoulder. 

"Take care of him, Professor," James said as he handed over his son with a kiss on the forehead. 

"Of course. You'll see him again, and he'll be just the same," the old man smiled as he accepted the peacefully sleeping child. 

Next, Lily got up out of her chair and walked over to her son. "I love you, Harry," she whispered as she kissed his tiny lips and ran a hand over his hair before turning away and walking towards the door. 

"Love you, little guy," James whispered as he followed his wife out of the office and headed home. He felt like he was leaving a part of him behind, and it wasn't a feeling that he cared to have. 

"Well, it looks like it's just you and me, Harry. Let's just hope that you see your parents again soon," Dumbledore sighed as he headed towards his quarters to lay Harry down in the crib that he fashioned for him. 

~*~

**_Authors Note:_**__

_Hello all! How'd you like? I think that it got a little sentimental on you all, but yea. I don't know what it's like to have someone else take care of your child for who knows how long, so I tried my best._

_I hope that I didn't over act it. _

_And you should all thank my new friend Paddy for this chapter. She pushed the process about. _

_Well, I hope that you all like!!_

_Review!! I'm begging you here! _

_Mistress del Mare_


	24. The Waiting

Forever Yours  
  
Chapter 24  
  
The Waiting  
  
Lily roamed the halls of her house later that night. Maybe she shouldn't have given up her job. Now, all she could do during the days was worry about Harry. At least she'd have something to do if she still had a job.  
  
"What's wrong, Lily?" James yawned as he came up behind her and looked into Harry's room over her shoulder.  
  
"It looks weird, doesn't it?" Lily whispered softly. "It looks so . . . disserted now that he isn't there to sleep or play in," she elaborated as she wrapped her arms around her waist to ward of the chilly night air. It was a little too cold to be wearing only a thin white nightgown that barely covered anything during the middle of the night.  
  
"We'll get through it Lily. I promise," James vowed as he wrapped his arms around her and began to back out of the room with Lily in his arms. "Come on, baby. You need to sleep. Don't run yourself ragged," he tried when he found that Lily wouldn't move out of Harry's room.  
  
"I know. I won't. I'll go back to bed in a little bit, okay?" she smiled up at him a little sadly.  
  
James sighed and nodded his head mutely before giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek and heading off towards their room on silent feet. He was worried about her. Ever since they had gotten back from Hogwarts earlier that day, she had been quiet. Only giving short responses when asked questions. He knew that she missed Harry, hell, so did he! But she needed to realize that it would have happened sooner or later in their life. And even though he didn't like the fact that his only child was away from home so early in it's life, and might not return for awhile, he at least tried to act normal. "I guess it's a Mother thing," James muttered to himself as he walked into the dark room, which was illuminated by the moonlight only, due to the open curtains. He sighed as he got into bed. He hadn't know that she would be this effected by Harry leaving. It seemed like she was taking it a little too extreme.  
  
*.*.*  
  
Lily stood in the same spot tha6t James left her at and looked at Harry's crib sadly. Ever though he was a year old already, this would be his first night away from her. She was just so used to having him around that the house felt. . . empty. Eerie.  
  
"Maybe I should just listen to James," she sighed. "He's safe with Dumbledore, and no harm can come to him if he's with Dumbledore." And it was true. Hogwarts might not always be the safest of places, but Dumbledore was the safest person that Harry could ever be with. The old wizard had more power than anyone could even imagine. Which is really the only reason why she had ever even considered leaving Harry with Dumbledore. She knew that he'd be taken care of, and protected.  
  
But she was starting to wonder if she did the right thing. Why hadn't she wanted a Secret Keeper? At least then she'd have her baby with her. 'It's because you know that somehow something would still happen. Dumbledore is the safest choice that you had Lily,' her mind reasoned with her.  
  
Lily sighed and backed out of the room. She needed to stop worrying about Harry so much. She knew that he was safe.  
  
Lily closed the door leading to Harry's room silently and started to walk down the hall, her feet making close to no sound on the carpet.  
  
Maybe she'd go and visit her Mother tomorrow. Or Mrs. Potter. Or maybe even Petunia. She hadn't been able to see her nephew since he was born. That might be something to do, she thought as she padded over to her side of the bed, her feet making soft sounds on the hardwood floor.  
  
"You okay now?" James asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room, as he pushed himself onto his elbow and looked at Lily as best as he could in the darkness.  
  
"Yes, I think that I am," Lily admitted as she crawled under the blankets and got as close to James as she could.  
  
"Everything will be okay Lily. You'll see," James said, once again, trying to reassure her.  
  
Lily smiled at him slightly and brought one of her hands up to his cheek, which was scattered with stubble. "I love you James," she said as her hand moved to play with the messy strands of hair that laid by his ear.  
  
"I love you too Lily. So very much. You're my everything," James smiled as his forefinger began to trace the contours of her face, taking the route that he'd know in his sleep. He knew every single bump, crevice, freckle, expression, and scar that marred this woman's body. He'd be able to draw her body to perfection - if he knew how to draw - in his sleep.  
  
Lily smiled as she felt his fingertip brush against her nose in a soft caress. He loved touching her nose now days for some reason. Lily continued to smile as she brought James's head closer to hers and leaned up to kiss his lips lightly. James's finger brushed across her chin before trailing the line of her jaw and cupping her head with his hand.  
  
"Make love to me James," she whispered as she nibbled on his bottom lip slowly, then ran her tongue over the area of flesh that she was playing with.  
  
James groaned and rolled on top of her. "You have to ask?" he rasped in a husky voice as his hands stole up her silken nightgown.  
  
*.*.*  
  
The next morning, Lily woke up with a bad feeling in her gut. Something was going to happen, and soon. Really soon. In an attempt to get the feeling away, Lily snuggled closer to James and began to nuzzle his neck, trying to get him to wake up.  
  
"James, sweetheart. Time to get up. Please," she whispered into his ear before taking it into her mouth and grazing her teeth over the flesh before pulling her head back a little bit to see if his eyes had opened up. They hadn't.  
  
James groaned in his sleep, and wrapped an arm around his wife, holding her - securing her to his side.  
  
Lily smiled evilly as a plan formed in her head. She slipped James's arm away from her body and straddled his hips before looking down at him. Damn, but he still looked hot as ever to her. Nothing had changed on his body since the first time they had made love. Well, nothing except the fact that he had gotten stronger. Which was a definite plus to her. There was just something about knowing that a guy is stronger than her that totally turned her own. And his chest could still make her goggle. All the long, lean, hairless, hard ridges of it. It made her mouth water just looking at it.  
  
Lily leaned down and placed a small kiss on James's neck. For once, she was glad that he could be a sound sleeper at times. This seemed to be one of those times. She never realized that it could come into handy. Lily placed chaste kisses down his body until she had to scoot her body down so that she could get to her objective. Lily took James into her mouth, and watched through hooded lids as James's eyes shot open, the blue darker than usual, and his mouth opened just a tiny bit as a groan was ripped from his throat.  
  
He could be amusing to wake at times.  
  
"God, Lily!" James groaned as his hand fisted in her hair, which was in a big enough mess from the activities of last night. His hand jerked sharply as the pleasure grew too intense for his body to handle, but Lily didn't even feel it. She loved watching him like this. So . . . helpless. Needy. Vulnerable.  
  
James groaned again, grabbed Lily by her arms, and hauled her up his body.  
  
"You play dirty Mrs. Potter. But so can I," he grunted as he thrust into her body, making Lily throw her head back on a groan, and grip his forearms to gain stability.  
  
What seemed like minutes, but was really an hour later, Lily and James got out of bed and got ready for the day.  
  
"You're not going to work?" Lily asked skeptically as she noticed the time a few hours later. She turned from her spot on the terrace and faced James, who was leaning on the doorjamb of the terrace doors watching her silently with his arms crossed over his chest and a thoughtful look on his face.  
  
His clothes didn't look like ones he would wear to work. Instead of his usual black slacks and dark blue button up shirt, he was wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater.  
  
"No, I'm not. I took the week off," James explained with a shrug of his gray covered shoulders.  
  
Lily's mouth formed and 'o', and she turned back to the view before she ran a hand over her tight black tank top, and black slacks.  
  
"you feel it too, don't you?" Lily asked as she continued to listen to the furious beat of the ocean.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Maybe we should get everyone over here . . . " Lily said, a little uncertain of her idea.  
  
"I'll do it," James sighed. She was putting up a wall around herself. He knew that she was.  
  
All Lily could do was nod her head. She didn't even look at James and do it.  
  
He had guessed right though. She was trying to distance herself from everyone else. She just had this bad feeling that she was going to lose someone close to her. And she didn't know who it was, and it was driving her crazy! Hadn't she lost enough people who were important to her in her life? Her sister. Her Father. The way that she figured it, if she distanced herself from the others now, there was a better chance of not hurting as much as it normally would later. Right?  
  
"They'll be here in a little bit," James announced as he leaned on the rail next to her and looked out over the ocean just as she was doing.  
  
Lily nodded her head, and didn't reply. She didn't know what to say. She just realize that there was a possibility that she could lose the love of her life. Would she be able to cope with that? No. She didn't think that she could.  
  
"I love you James," she told him before turning around and leaving the terrace.  
  
James frowned in confusion. What the hell was that about, he wondered as he watched her shut the bedroom door behind her. She was acting like she was going to lose him! 'I'm not going anywhere, my love,' James vowed as he sighed and turned back around to continue looking at the ocean.  
  
*.*.*  
  
A little over two hours after James had talked to them, Kayla, Sirius, Aria, and Remus all showed up at their house, and they all seemed to have the same thoughts as Lily and James. Something was going to happen.  
  
Nightfall was upon them, and everything seemed to spook Lily now. She was on edge, and everyone could tell. She kept on searching the room for something that wasn't there, and whenever someone talked to her, she jumped. Something was up.  
  
"What's wrong?" Aria asked as she and Kayla got Lily alone.  
  
"I don't know," Lily admitted as she begun to pace the space of the kitchen. She felt like she was some kind of caged animal who had to escape or else she'd lose her mind. Like she needed to transform and run wild.  
  
"I feel as if I need to transform to get all of this energy out, but I also think that the urge to do so is some kind of trick. And I don't know what to do!" she ranted as she started to pace faster. "Something wants me out there. Outside. Something - or someone - wants our circle broken." She growled with the realization. They weren't going to break them up. They were going to fight this . . . thing together.  
  
Kayla stood where she was, leaning against the counter in shock. In all of her years knowing Lily, she had never in her whole life, seen her best friend look like this, act like this. If Lily was edgy enough to rant and pace like this, and have that . . . frightened look in her emerald eyes, something big was going to happen. Lily was always the rock. The one that never got frightened of things. Now, now Lily was terrified. "Oh, God," Kayla whispered. She was starting to feel it now too. That eeriness. It was creeping into the air. And that nagging feeling of something dark on the horizon that Lily had been feeling since she woke up. It was there.  
  
"What are we going to do?" Aria asked. She couldn't feel it, but she knew that this had to be something big to get Kayla and Lily acting like this.  
  
"Wait for him to come to us. It's him. I know that it is. It's All Hallows Eve. Remember the prophecy?" Lily whispered as she pushed past the two girls and a made her way to the family room, where she knew that James and the rest of the guys were sitting, most likely talking about Quidditch so that they wouldn't have to think about what was going on at the moment.  
  
"This could be our last night alive," Aria whispered shakily in realization. It hadn't seemed real. Not until this exact moment, it hadn't seemed real to her. It had been like the whole situation was so far away from her. Now, now she saw the seriousness of the situation. They could all die. The whole magical civilization was at jeopardy. And the responsibility lay at the hand of six twenty to twenty one year olds.  
  
*.*.*  
  
Authors Note:  
  
Hey you all!  
  
I'm sorry that it took me like a million dyas to get this out. But I had it done by Wednesday, but the site wouldn't let me put it up! I'm not sure if I'll be able to put it up today - Friday - because the site seems to not be working for me.  
  
But I have two more chapters to go!  
  
The next one will be the final chapter of the story, and then the second one will be an epilogue.  
  
Well, I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! I sorta left ya'll wit a cliffy though.  
  
I'll try to have the next chapters out soon! Byes  
  
Review please!!!!  
  
Mistress del Mare 


	25. The Arrival

Forever Yours 

Chapter 25 

The Arrival 

It seemed as if the hours ticked by at a snails pace to Aria. It was as if the world knew what was going to go on, and slowed down in anticipation. And every steady _tick tock tick tock_ echoed in her head. 

"It's eleven," Lily announced as the eleven bongs of the grandfather clock from the walkway traveled through the house. 

"You think that he's going to come around midnight, don't you?" Remus asked as he gazed at Lily's face. 

Lily shut her eyes and said, "I-I don't know. I can't say." 

The room returned to silence. 

Kayla was sitting next to Sirius on the floor, leaning against the couch, Aria was pacing in front of the fireplace, Remus was situated in a chair close to the fireplace, and would grab Aria's hand every time she passed him. James was leaning against the window that looked out to the front of the house, and Lily . . . she was everywhere. She couldn't stay still. 

With a sigh, Lily walked over to her husband and wrapped her arms around him from behind, looking over his shoulder into the darkness of the night. 

James shook the emptiness out of his head as he felt arms wrap around him. He'd been staring at nothing for too long. James took one of Lily's hands and intertwined his fingers with hers, their wedding bands brushing against each other. 

"I _hate_ waiting!" Kayla sighed as she blinked her eyes to get the spots from her eyes. 

"I'd rather wait then have to deal with this guy." Sirius said in his deep voice as he gathered his wife closer to him. 

"I don't think that you can even _consider _that _thing_ a guy," Lily commented as she shuddered. She was _not_ looking forward to tonight. Not at all. 

"You know, I don't think that any of us have _ever_ acted like this," Remus observed.

"Like what? Silent? Edgy? Spooked?" Aria asked as she stopped pacing and walked over to Remus's chair and sat on his lap. 

"Yes," he agreed as he put his arms around her. 

*.*.*

"It's almost time," a raspy voice sounded into a damp, cold dungeon. If you listened carefully, you could here the distant _drip drip_ of water in the background. 

"I'll soon be unstoppable," the voice said as he looked over the group of black hooded cloaks. 

"With the help of their past friends, I shall defeat them by using their weaknesses," he announced, more to himself than the rest of the room. 

A cheer went up, then died quickly. 

The clock stroke the half hour, and the hooded figure in the front of the room grinned evilly. _It's begun_, he thought as he snapped his fingers and apparated to the outskirts of Bristol along with two other people. 

*.*.*

"What do you think that Voldemort will try to do?" Sirius asked the room in curiosity. 

"The same thing he did when we were doing our test. Most likely, he'll be using our weaknesses. But it isn't going to be so easy to overcome this time," Aria sighed. She didn't know what her weakness was, but that just makes it even harder to face. 

"We have to get through this you guys. If not for ourselves, for our children. They shouldn't have to live in a world of fear," James said.

The others nodded their heads in agreement, and began to look around the room in silence. Maybe they _could_ win this. Maybe. Just maybe, they could create a better world for their children.

Lily opened her mouth to say something just as the clock chimed the half hour. Suddenly, this strange . . . dark feeling fell over the house, causing its occupants to shiver in fear. 

_The time had come._

Those words hovered in all of their minds as they looked at each other in fear. There was a big possibility that they could never see one another again. 

"I love you all," Lily whispered before kissing James lightly on the cheek and taking a deep breath. 

"I love you all too," Sirius echoed, as did Kayla, Aria, and Remus. 

"How _sweet_," a familiar voice sounded from the hallway, causing them all to turn towards it. 

"Tiffany!" Lily yelled as she saw one of her past friends. 

"So smart of you to remember my name," the girl spat as she stepped into the room. 

"Why don't you take off your cloak?" Kayla asked as she tried to peer into the darkness of the hood of Tiffany's cloak.

"Why would I do that? So that you could have the memory of my face burned into your brain. You think that I don't know that if someone was to try to figure out the big _riddle_ of who killed the famous _Marauders and wives_ that my face would be sketched there? You guys never did realize that I wasn't a total moron did you?" she laughed. "Well, now it looks like the wheels have turned around. Don't you say Peter?" she asked with a smirk as a chubby man came in, dressed in a thick black robe with the hood over his face like Tiffany's. 

"Yes, I do. It's about time they learn what it feels like to be _small_. To feel un-needed," he growled. 

"Why the hell are you guys doing this?" Sirius demanded, his brown eyes flashing with temper. 

"What better way to get back at you all?" Tiffany taunted.

"You ignored us and made our lives miserable, now, we're going to make _your _lives go bye-bye!" Peter laughed. 

"Now, now, Pettigrew, that's no reason to taunt our little _hero's_," Voldemort's raspy, hissing voice sounded as he stepped into the room. 

Lily gasped at the sight of this tall creature with a black hooded cloak in her house. He looked _hideous_. His skin was gray and wrinkly, and he smelled bad too. Almost as if he just climbed out of a crypt. As if he was a creature of the dead. 

"Surprise, surprise," Voldemort said as he took in the shocked and disgusted expressions of the witches and wizards standing before him. 

Lily's hand started to creep inside of the robe that she had put on a few hours earlier. Her hand stole into the pocket and her fingers wrapped around the wooden handle of it, and she felt the power flow into her body. She knew, that she'd fight with all that she was worth. 

James felt his wand, which was up his sleeve, and began to work it out slowly. He hid his arm behind Lily as it started to show, and wrapped his fingers around the grip handle. He allowed the surge of power to flow through his body, and he knew that he'd do what ever it took to win.

Kayla's hand searched her robe pocket until her fingers clasped around the precious wood. She could feel the power rising into her body, and she smiled. They were going to win. 

Sirius's hand snaked to his back pocket and closed around the handle of his wand. As the magic flowed through his veins, he knew that they were all going to do all  that they could to win this battle. 

Aria's hand skimmed over the waistband of her skirt and closed over the smooth willow stick that laid there. She wouldn't be afraid of dying. 

Remus's hand already lay on his wand, ready to pull it out in an instant. 

"So edgy for such young people," Voldemort hissed as he saw all of their hands go for their wands. "But if you wish to fight, so be it. We'll fight."

With that said, he raised his hand and pointed at Lily. "Cucio," he commanded. 

Lily dodged the yellow sparks that was the spell, and raised her wand and shouted out, "inverso" [1]. 

Voldemort laughed as he hung upside down. "Silly girl. Do you honestly think that that will affect me?" he teased as he shot out the impero spell towards Sirius, who managed to block it with another spell. 

"How the hell are we supposed to beat them?" Aria screamed as Peter and Tiffany began to call out spells also. 

After close to five minutes of constant spell dodging and counterattacks, someone screamed out the one curse that made everyone's blood freeze. The Killing Curse was fired. And headed towards Aria. 

*.*.*

Aria froze as the green light came closer to her. She was facing her death, and she knew it. Death in a green light. 

Then, in a quick succession, a picture of her parents, one tall with black hair and ice blue eyes, the other petite with blonde hair and gray eyes, flashed through her head. Then, the first time she went to Diagon Alley, the train ride to Hogwarts, meeting Lily and Aria, then meeting James and Sirius. Then, Remus. Then an image of Remus flashed through her head. The first time they kissed, said 'I love you', made love. The night he proposed. 

Then, her hand went down to her stomach, where she knew that her baby lay. 

She couldn't let it die. Not without experiencing life. 

With that in mind, Aria took a deep breath and closed her eyes, summoning her powers to her. 

Seconds later, everyone was holding on to something to keep them from flying around the room. 

Aria spread out her arm, and the heavy gust of wind pushed the killing curse away from her body. 

And as Remus watched her, he found the way to kill Voldemort. 

"Sirius! James! Kayla! Lily!" Remus yelled as he grabbed Aria's hand. The winds gust increased considerably. "Grab on to her hand!" he instructed. 

The four others ran as best as they could over to Aria and created a line, one hand linked to another. 

"Siamo stati trasmessi, per sgominare l'oscuritá. L'oscuritá che siete. Samo stati trasmessi, per sbarazzare il mondo dei vostri sensi, della vosra influenza. Invitamo le nostre alimentazoini, darci la resistenza per fare cosí. Per darck la resistenza per pulirli dalla terra e per non rinviare mai,[2]" they chanted. 

"You silly kids!" Voldemort yelled. "Do you honestly think that you can take away my immortality!" 

Kayla smirked and continued chanting. The bright yellow haze that surrounded them slowly made its way over to Voldemort – who stood with his arms crossed, thinking that nothing could happen to him – Peter and Tiffany, who looked at the cloud with skepticism. _What could that thing do to** us**,_ they wondered. 

Slowly, the yellow haze got closer to them, and the chanting stopped. 

Lily slumped against the wall, drained, as she watched the mist like cloud drape itself over the three invaders. 

James watched from his place on the floor as Voldemort, Peter and Tiffany were being drained of all power. 

Aria tried to get the larger part of her weight off of Remus as she watched the black cloud of power join the yellow, only to be enveloped by the yellow. 

Remus smiled as much as he could as he watched the three in front of him fall to their knees. 

Kayla watched with her head resting against the mantel of the fireplace as the life was being sucked out of her ex-friends and Voldemort. The white mists of life slowly raised out of their bodies and disappeared into the yellow haze that they had created. 

Sirius breathed deeply as he stood with his feet splayed apart and watched as their bones turned to dust little by little, then disappeared totally. 

No one seemed able to speak as they looked around the house, only to see it exactly how it was before Voldemort had come. 

"What happened?" Kayla croaked. 

"_Did_ it really happen?" James frowned as he looked over his house once again. Every thing seemed in order. 

Lily pushed herself off the wall, and on wobbly feet, walked over to where Peter, Tiffany and Voldemort had stood. 

There was still dust there. 

"James, Aria," Lily rasped and raised a hand to her throat to soothe it. That single spell drained her body of so much. "Go into the kitchen and start making a vanishing potion. We should have all of the ingredients needed. If not, tell me and I'll go to Diagon Alley," she instructed. 

James levered himself up with the help of the near by table and nodded his head before making his way over to his wife. He wrapped his arms around her body, and just hugged her close. She was alive. That was all that he could think right now. That his life, his love, was alive. 

"I love you Lils," he whispered into her ear as he skimmed a small kiss over her lips and let go of her. "I'll be right back, okay baby?" he smiled as he made his way out of the door. 

Aria broke out of her embrace with Remus and made her way out the door and to the kitchen. _Her child was safe,_ she smiled.  

Lily looked over in Kayla's direction, and smiled when she saw her being strangled in her husbands arms. 

She couldn't grasp the fact that they were all alive and unharmed yet. It seemed to . . . unreal for her. 

"Remus," she rasped, her voice still not back. "Can you go to Hogwarts and tell Dumbledore of the activities that has taken place? And tell him that I'll come for Harry tomorrow afternoon." 

Remus nodded and quickly took his wand out and apparated. 

"I need to get that fixed," Lily muttered to herself, referring to the apparation inside of her house. 

"What about us? What do we do?" Kayla asked. 

"I don't know," Lily shrugged. She couldn't think of anything else that needed to be done. 

*.*.*.*

Within hours after using the potion on the remains of Voldemort, Peter and Tiffany, the whole wizarding world knew of the Dark Lords downfall. And all of his followers were drained of a little bit of their powers from being connected to their Lord as they were. Many of them were caught, but a few managed to get away. 

Everywhere you turned, there were parties, fireworks going off, people dancing in the roads of muggle and wizarding Britain in robes. All of the pubs were full to the maximum, and shooting stars could be seen all over the world. 

They were free of Voldemort – or, as they still referred to him, _He-who-must-not-be-named_. 

*.*.*

The next morning, Lily woke up on the couch, with one of her best friends head on her stomach, and the other one laying next to her. Lily smiled a little and lifted her head a fraction to see where everyone else was. She smiled at what she saw. 

James was sprawled out on the cushion of the bay window, one of his arms and leg hanging over the side, his glasses askew, and his other leg was bent at an angle so that he could fit in the little space. 

Sirius lay in a small ball in the walkway between the couch that the girls were on and the table in between. 

And Remus looked so uncomfortable in the armchair that he was asleep in. His head hung over the backing of it, and his feet were spread out in front of him, and one of his arms was resting over his stomach while the other hung over one of the arms of the chair. 

Lily laughed a little and somehow managed to slide out of the room without anyone waking up and noticing. 

She needed a shower, then she needed to go and get her son. She wanted to see him so badly. 

*.*.*

When Lily came back down, everyone was in the kitchen, eating a pile of food that Aria and Kayla had cooked. Well, probably mostly Aria seeing as Kayla can't cook water without burning it. 

"Good morning," Lily smiled. They were still all here. She had been wrong. And this was one time that she would be _happy_ to admit that. She still had all of her friends. 

"Good Morning!" the echoed. Everyone seemed to be in a happy mood. 

"Lily Evans-Potter!" a voice shrieked, causing Kayla, Lily, Sirius and James to wince. They knew that voice, and what _that_ tone meant. Trouble. 

"Mama?" Lily asked timidly as her Mother walked into the room looking beautiful as ever in her white dress and black robes. 

"How _could_ you leave Harry with Dumbledore without asking _me_ first?" Alexandra huffed as she placed her hands on her hips as she glared at first her daughter, then her son-in-law. 

Lily looked down at her gray sweater and plucked at the hem of it, as her black jean incased legs shifted nervously on the floor. No matter how old she got, she would _never_ stop being afraid of her Mother. 

"Uhh. . . I don't know," she mumbled. 

"You don't know?" her Mother echoed.

Lily shrugged her shoulders, deciding that keeping her mouth shut would be in her best interest. 

"She was going to go and get him now if you wanted to go with her, Alex," Kayla tried. 

"That's not my point. I want to know why my _grandson_ didn't stay with me!" 

"Because I was scared that you wouldn't be able to handle Voldemort or one of his followers with the amount of power that you have if they had come after Harry!" Lily exclaimed as she waved her arms around frantically, missing James's head by millimeters. 

Alexandra looked at her daughter, and smiled, "That's all you had to say to me. Now, why don't I go and get Harry, and bring him back here. You need to eat your breakfast Cara, you look hungry," her Mother instructed before turning around and heading for the living room, where she would use floo powder to get to Hogwarts.

"That's where I have to get it from," Lily sighed as she plopped down in a chair and took two pancakes, an egg and a few bits of bacon and put them on her plate. Her Mother was right about _something_. She was famished! 

*.*.*

Later that night, Lily lay on her bed with Harry laying next to her, thinking about what had happened the night before. She was glad that it was over, that her son could grow up without having to worry about his family and friends being killed. 

"Hey," James said softly as he sat next to his wife on the bed, and brushed her shinning red hair out of her face. 

"Hi," Lily smiled. Her family was still here. 

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am," she answered as she looked up at him, then down at her baby boy. 

"I love you Lily, and I always will."

"I love you too James. So much." She smiled, then looked down at her son. "And I love you too, baby boy." 

James smiled, then walked over to his side of the bed. Before getting under the covers, he reached over on to his night stand, and turned off the light. 

"Night, baby," he whispered into the darkness. 

*.*.*

**_Authors Note:_**__

_Hey y'all! This is the last story of this story. :::Sniffle::: My baby is finished!!_

_[1] upside down_

_[2] we were sent, to vanquish the dark. The dark which you are. We were sent, to rid the world of your ways, of your influence. We call upon our power, to give us the strength to do so. To give us the strength to wipe you from the Earth, and never to return._

_I will have an epilogue out sometime in the next two –three days, so look out for that. Then, I'm going to be finishing up Spellbound. _

_Tell me what you think of the ending. _

_And for all of those who didn't read the one Authors note where I put that I wasn't going to kill them off, SURPRISE!! LoL. _

_But tell me what you all think of the ending. Good, bad. _

_I'll see you all in the next chapter! Bye bye!!!!_

_Mistress del Mare_


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